Back from its slumber, now solo-project Panic! At the Disco returns with a song that both sounds straight from the 70s, but also deeply rooted in modern songwriting in ‘Viva Las Vengeance’. 

I hate to be that person, but to understand ‘Viva Las Vengeance’, one must understand the roots that had to exist for this song to be created. Immediately as the song begins, the production sounds very retro. Beyond that, once Brendan Urie starts singing, the Queen inspiration shine forth. The way the harmonies act as a separate entity, melodic passages sung in harmony to answer the questions the main melody poses, which is something Queen has perfected in rock. There’s also something incredibly Broadway, or cinematic, about the delivery, which works excellently with Brendan’s voice. While the production and the ideas are very retro, the framework and the melodies are rooted in modern songwriting, especially the style that Brendan, through both his solo efforts and his work in Panic, has masterfully crafted over the years. That extends to the structure, which is somewhat unconventional, and its chord progression, which is extremely ambitious even for a proto-progressive rock standard. It’s quite interesting to hear the way Urie glades over the chord changes, and finds a way to make the chorus catchy and impactful. His vocal delivery in this song is one of the greatest, especially in the latter part of the song (notedly in the bridge and the song’s outro where Brandon manages to hit an insanely high F note). It’s very inspiring to see where age usually steal singers’ talents, Brendan’s gets better.

‘Viva Las Vengeance is an incredible return after a 4-year hiatus for Panic! At the Disco (or, let’s just call it for what it is, Brendan Urie). He continues to perfect his craft with each release, and while the directions he sometimes takes can be at times controversial, I’m confident in saying that there’s something for everyone in ‘Viva Las Vengeance’.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.