Thirteen years ago today, Black Veil Brides released “Wretched and Divine” — the title track of their boldest and most theatrical project to date.
It wasn’t just another single. It was the keystone to a concept album that drew a line in the sand: between conformity and chaos, between silence and self-expression, between those who follow and those who fight.
By 2013, BVB had already carved out a place in the alt-rock world with their glam-metal aesthetic, outsider anthems, and unapologetically dramatic flair. But “Wretched and Divine” was something else entirely. It wasn’t just eyeliner and riffs — it was mythology.
The track was part battle cry, part manifesto. The title alone was a paradox: “Wretched” — broken, cast out, unwanted. “Divine” — powerful, chosen, transcendent. Together, it captured exactly how Black Veil Brides saw their fans — not as victims, but as exiles with a purpose.
Musically, the song showed the band at their most operatic. String arrangements layered with crushing guitars. Andy Biersack’s vocals stretching from whispered resolve to full-throated fury. It was cinematic — intentionally so. In fact, the entire Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones album played like a rock opera, complete with interludes, a storyline, and even a full-length companion film (Legion of the Black).
What many fans don’t know?
The song almost didn’t make the final cut.
During production, label execs pushed for a safer single — something radio-ready, stripped of the concept. The band refused. BVB fought for the track to remain front and centre — because it wasn’t just a song. It was the mission statement. The one that said: We’re not here to fit in. We’re here to make noise for the ones who never had a voice.
And it worked.
Years later, “Wretched and Divine” still resonates. Not just because of its epic scale, but because it made thousands of outcasts feel like chosen ones. It didn’t just tell a story — it created one. A movement. A war cry in eyeliner and leather.