From the opening track “Besitos”—with its speed-of-light guitar riff, impassioned vocal onslaught, and near-operatic chorus—Pierce the Veil make it clear that Selfish Machines is not just another metal album. It blurs emo, prog rock, and post-hardcore into a powerhouse of a record. However, tracks like “Disasterology” and the multi-faceted juggernaut “Caraphernelia” offset their technical prowess with pop-schooled catchiness. Selfish Machines is an album about the complexities of love, and its emotional weight and sonic intricacies do the difficult subject justice.