In 2010, no one was expecting Bring Me The Horizon to release the kind of album they did. There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret was such an incredible progression from the band’s Suicide Season that it knocked mostly everything in the metalcore community on its ass. Having gained newfound respect and plenty of new fans with that release, the community now had expectations for the Sheffield, England band, and sometimes that can make or break you.
And maybe that’s why it took so long for the band to release its fourth album (and third for Epitaph), Sempiternal. There were times where vocalist Oliver Sykes thought that his band might never release a follow-up. But instead of crumbling under the pressure, Bring Me The Horizon instead released its most daring and stunning album yet.
While this album will still be (rightfully) placed under the “metalcore” category, Sempiternal features some songs that are definitely not. Opening track “Can You Feel My Heart” is a jittery electronic-paced jam that features Sykes favoring shouting over his customary growl. It’s a bold opener for a band like Bring Me The Horizon whose claim to fame getting as brutal as possible. But instead of just trying to throw in as many breakdowns and guttural screams as possible, Bring Me The Horizon continues the progression shown on There Is A Hell by improving its songwriting tenfold. There are more electronics, different tempos, and more attention paid to constructing the best songs (and not just metal bangers) possible.
Don’t get me wrong, though, Sempiternal is still a very heavy record. The scorching first single “Shadow Moses” is a bridge between the last album andSempiternal (its auditory assault paced by some of drummer Matt Nicholls’ best work), while “Antivist” turns back the clock to Suicide Season(unsurprisingly it’s the only misstep on the album, and a slight one at that). Other than those two tracks, though, the album features Bring Me The Horizon treading new ground.
If you thought the strides these guys took as musicians on There Is A Hell was impressive, prepare to be blown out of the water with Sempiternal. Anthems such as “Go To Hell, For Heavens Sake” and “Seen It All Before” would have just been buried in loud guitars and a barrage of breakdowns. Rather, these songs show off how far each member has come; each one nicely layered and nuanced (guitarist Lee Malia unleashes some of his best solos on these tracks). The raucous “The House of Wolves” is the catchiest thrash punk song you’ll hear in 2013, while “Empire (Let Them Sing)” is a soaring epic, complete with programmed strings and backing choir. It transitions between ambience and chaos, making the track an unpredictable pleasure.
Produced by the legendary Terry Date (Deftones, Slipknot), Sempiternal is a very lush and euphoric record and it isn’t more apparent than in tracks like “Sleepwalking” and “And The Snakes Start To Sing” – two of the best songs in the band’s career. New keyboardist Jordan Fish adds exceptional flourishes to each – the former has a vibrancy unheard of before in BMTH while the slow haunting keys give the latter an intense darkness. Vocally, Sykes lays it all out there, sounding like Chester Bennington 2.0 during the verses on “Sleepwalking.” And the despair heard on “And The Snakes Start To Sing” is the perfect contrast to the song’s slow death march, ending furiously with Sykes yelling if he was “just a step, a fucking step to climb.”
The term "sempiternal" means “everlasting time” that can never actually come to pass - even though it sounds like Sykes is ready for things to wrap up at any time. Rather, he seems to be urging listeners to not take anything for granted since nothing lasts forever. Throughout the album’s eleven tracks, Sykes ranges from desperate ("I can't drown my demons/they know how to swim.") to anger ("I'm burning down every bridge we make/I'll watch you choke on the hearts you break") to guarded hope ("Wake up!/Pull me out/and give me a reason to start again"). Sykes continues to open himself up to the world, as his latest collection of lyrics are his strongest yet.
Sometimes I can't believe that this band released albums like Count Your Blessings and Suicide Season when I hear a song like "Hospital For Souls," the album's meteoric closer. It's an exhilarating experimental song - one that builds and burns into a stunning finish that'll leave you with chills as you hear Sykes final plea ("Hold me close, don't let go/Watch me burn!"). It's the final act for an album that has just as much substance as it has style. So you can throw out whatever expectations you had for Bring Me The Horizon in 2013, as Sempiternal is one of the most engaging albums of the year.
So apparently Bring Me the Horizon's anthem “It Never Ends” is about ever-bronchiti-inflicted frontman Oli Sykes' problems with fame and how people, namely his fans, want more than friendship from him, like sex and hot pictures. Big problem, right. But when we first heard the howling “every second, every minute, every hour, every day -- it never ends, it never ends” back in 2010, a believable tale about a struggle with addiction is what came to mind. Or, forgive the generalization of the interpretation, it sounded like a love fling even, err one-night stand, that became a never-ending obsession.
Nevermind that the song and much of Bring Me The Horizon's There is a Heaven, yada yada whatever titlecontained over-the-top scenecore gimics -- keyboards, backing choirs, tattoos, DEMONS; because the song sounded sincere. Sincere delivery. Sincere emotion. Sincere Sykes. And half the album carried that torch impressively well. “Don't Go” had an appearance from hottie Lights. “Crucify Me” may go down as the most pulse-pounding song about being an ocean that I've ever heard. And “Blessed With A Curse” still turns all its listeners to stone -- cue that chorus, baby. Half the album, being the key phrase though. Bring Me Horizon had yet to release a consistent record, improvement and progression aside.
With that in mind, it's easy to approach Sempiternal in a lazy manor: listen for the hits, skip over the normal chug songs, just like the last couple times. Yet you'll find much more than that when you actually listen to it. First impression reads Bring the Horizon have gone pop. True, they have. But you know what else that first impression will give you? Bring Me the Horizon have actually crafted a front-to-back album in their destined-to-be polarizing Sempiternal as well.
New full member Worship keyboardist Jordan Fish is all over this thing. His keys are the backbone of bookends “Can You Feel My Heart” and “Hospital For Souls”, and his chords lead most of the choruses to be found here. Speaking of choruses, though, Sempiternal is filled to the brim -- like in every song. Some are better than others: namely, the “Shadow Moses” and Jesse Lacey-esque “And the Snakes Start to Sing” pairing will be a marvel in scenecore for years to come. For the first time, Bring Me The Horizon feel very comfortable with the idea that they are a popular metalcore band, which makes this increase in melodic songwriting acceptable, but more importantly, very enjoyable. They aren't hiding behind these bull shit facades of being artisans of true music. They're just shooting for the arenas here.
Hell, I'd say they're even shooting for the radio here. “Snakes” is the kind of cross-over hit that could take Bring Me the Horizon -- and Sykes popularity insecurities, lol -- to the next level. It's got these easily relatable lyrics delivered in this open-to-intepretation, playing-opposites vehicle that could get even the more ADD Swift and Gaga fans to actually start thinking -- offense intended, by the way. Of course the melodies are infectious enough, and like “It Never Ends, it's sincere: a winner in every scenecore sense of the word.
I don't really care for Sykes views on religion in “Antivist” and “Crooked Young”. That's when he shows himself as a one-dimensional frontman and isn't playing to what Bring The Horizon is/has become/ing. He's more than that, and while I wouldn't mind him tackling the universal issue in the future, “fuck your faith” isn't the way to do it. Subtly is importantly, and since Sykes uses so much subtly with the rest of Sempiternal in his opposites-filled lyrical vehicle, it's confusing as to why he show's himself so nakedly here. Not exactly what his fans were asking for since "It Never Ends", eh?
But Sykes is still evolving and so is Bring Me the Horizon, so we can expect something even more powerful next time around, as is this band's trend. Yet for the next couple years, expect Sempiternal to be the new how-to-scenecore book for every aspiring band of their ilk out there. Respectable, poppy, and yes, even sincere, Bring Me the Horizon have finally released their first actual album.
And maybe that’s why it took so long for the band to release its fourth album (and third for Epitaph), Sempiternal. There were times where vocalist Oliver Sykes thought that his band might never release a follow-up. But instead of crumbling under the pressure, Bring Me The Horizon instead released its most daring and stunning album yet.
While this album will still be (rightfully) placed under the “metalcore” category, Sempiternal features some songs that are definitely not. Opening track “Can You Feel My Heart” is a jittery electronic-paced jam that features Sykes favoring shouting over his customary growl. It’s a bold opener for a band like Bring Me The Horizon whose claim to fame getting as brutal as possible. But instead of just trying to throw in as many breakdowns and guttural screams as possible, Bring Me The Horizon continues the progression shown on There Is A Hell by improving its songwriting tenfold. There are more electronics, different tempos, and more attention paid to constructing the best songs (and not just metal bangers) possible.
Don’t get me wrong, though, Sempiternal is still a very heavy record. The scorching first single “Shadow Moses” is a bridge between the last album andSempiternal (its auditory assault paced by some of drummer Matt Nicholls’ best work), while “Antivist” turns back the clock to Suicide Season(unsurprisingly it’s the only misstep on the album, and a slight one at that). Other than those two tracks, though, the album features Bring Me The Horizon treading new ground.
If you thought the strides these guys took as musicians on There Is A Hell was impressive, prepare to be blown out of the water with Sempiternal. Anthems such as “Go To Hell, For Heavens Sake” and “Seen It All Before” would have just been buried in loud guitars and a barrage of breakdowns. Rather, these songs show off how far each member has come; each one nicely layered and nuanced (guitarist Lee Malia unleashes some of his best solos on these tracks). The raucous “The House of Wolves” is the catchiest thrash punk song you’ll hear in 2013, while “Empire (Let Them Sing)” is a soaring epic, complete with programmed strings and backing choir. It transitions between ambience and chaos, making the track an unpredictable pleasure.
Produced by the legendary Terry Date (Deftones, Slipknot), Sempiternal is a very lush and euphoric record and it isn’t more apparent than in tracks like “Sleepwalking” and “And The Snakes Start To Sing” – two of the best songs in the band’s career. New keyboardist Jordan Fish adds exceptional flourishes to each – the former has a vibrancy unheard of before in BMTH while the slow haunting keys give the latter an intense darkness. Vocally, Sykes lays it all out there, sounding like Chester Bennington 2.0 during the verses on “Sleepwalking.” And the despair heard on “And The Snakes Start To Sing” is the perfect contrast to the song’s slow death march, ending furiously with Sykes yelling if he was “just a step, a fucking step to climb.”
The term "sempiternal" means “everlasting time” that can never actually come to pass - even though it sounds like Sykes is ready for things to wrap up at any time. Rather, he seems to be urging listeners to not take anything for granted since nothing lasts forever. Throughout the album’s eleven tracks, Sykes ranges from desperate ("I can't drown my demons/they know how to swim.") to anger ("I'm burning down every bridge we make/I'll watch you choke on the hearts you break") to guarded hope ("Wake up!/Pull me out/and give me a reason to start again"). Sykes continues to open himself up to the world, as his latest collection of lyrics are his strongest yet.
Sometimes I can't believe that this band released albums like Count Your Blessings and Suicide Season when I hear a song like "Hospital For Souls," the album's meteoric closer. It's an exhilarating experimental song - one that builds and burns into a stunning finish that'll leave you with chills as you hear Sykes final plea ("Hold me close, don't let go/Watch me burn!"). It's the final act for an album that has just as much substance as it has style. So you can throw out whatever expectations you had for Bring Me The Horizon in 2013, as Sempiternal is one of the most engaging albums of the year.
So apparently Bring Me the Horizon's anthem “It Never Ends” is about ever-bronchiti-inflicted frontman Oli Sykes' problems with fame and how people, namely his fans, want more than friendship from him, like sex and hot pictures. Big problem, right. But when we first heard the howling “every second, every minute, every hour, every day -- it never ends, it never ends” back in 2010, a believable tale about a struggle with addiction is what came to mind. Or, forgive the generalization of the interpretation, it sounded like a love fling even, err one-night stand, that became a never-ending obsession.
Nevermind that the song and much of Bring Me The Horizon's There is a Heaven, yada yada whatever titlecontained over-the-top scenecore gimics -- keyboards, backing choirs, tattoos, DEMONS; because the song sounded sincere. Sincere delivery. Sincere emotion. Sincere Sykes. And half the album carried that torch impressively well. “Don't Go” had an appearance from hottie Lights. “Crucify Me” may go down as the most pulse-pounding song about being an ocean that I've ever heard. And “Blessed With A Curse” still turns all its listeners to stone -- cue that chorus, baby. Half the album, being the key phrase though. Bring Me Horizon had yet to release a consistent record, improvement and progression aside.
With that in mind, it's easy to approach Sempiternal in a lazy manor: listen for the hits, skip over the normal chug songs, just like the last couple times. Yet you'll find much more than that when you actually listen to it. First impression reads Bring the Horizon have gone pop. True, they have. But you know what else that first impression will give you? Bring Me the Horizon have actually crafted a front-to-back album in their destined-to-be polarizing Sempiternal as well.
New full member Worship keyboardist Jordan Fish is all over this thing. His keys are the backbone of bookends “Can You Feel My Heart” and “Hospital For Souls”, and his chords lead most of the choruses to be found here. Speaking of choruses, though, Sempiternal is filled to the brim -- like in every song. Some are better than others: namely, the “Shadow Moses” and Jesse Lacey-esque “And the Snakes Start to Sing” pairing will be a marvel in scenecore for years to come. For the first time, Bring Me The Horizon feel very comfortable with the idea that they are a popular metalcore band, which makes this increase in melodic songwriting acceptable, but more importantly, very enjoyable. They aren't hiding behind these bull shit facades of being artisans of true music. They're just shooting for the arenas here.
Hell, I'd say they're even shooting for the radio here. “Snakes” is the kind of cross-over hit that could take Bring Me the Horizon -- and Sykes popularity insecurities, lol -- to the next level. It's got these easily relatable lyrics delivered in this open-to-intepretation, playing-opposites vehicle that could get even the more ADD Swift and Gaga fans to actually start thinking -- offense intended, by the way. Of course the melodies are infectious enough, and like “It Never Ends, it's sincere: a winner in every scenecore sense of the word.
I don't really care for Sykes views on religion in “Antivist” and “Crooked Young”. That's when he shows himself as a one-dimensional frontman and isn't playing to what Bring The Horizon is/has become/ing. He's more than that, and while I wouldn't mind him tackling the universal issue in the future, “fuck your faith” isn't the way to do it. Subtly is importantly, and since Sykes uses so much subtly with the rest of Sempiternal in his opposites-filled lyrical vehicle, it's confusing as to why he show's himself so nakedly here. Not exactly what his fans were asking for since "It Never Ends", eh?
But Sykes is still evolving and so is Bring Me the Horizon, so we can expect something even more powerful next time around, as is this band's trend. Yet for the next couple years, expect Sempiternal to be the new how-to-scenecore book for every aspiring band of their ilk out there. Respectable, poppy, and yes, even sincere, Bring Me the Horizon have finally released their first actual album.