Posted Feb 1 2019 at 11:03 am
Genre: Indie
Bring Me the Horizon forge full steam-punk ahead with new collection of punchy, electro-rock arena athems
Having come a long way from their early deathcore sound, ‘amo’ has expanded the band’s style in a way that’s grown just as much in maturity as it has in wrath.
Written by
Becca Carroll
(share this sh*t)
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Reddit
The UK’s most reluctantly beloved metalcore band, Bring Me the Horizon, is finally back with new jams since 2016 (That’s the Spirit) – it has been long overdue guys. And from the sound of it, they’ve given the last record’s grungier style a break, along with frontman Oli Sykes’ vocals (also long overdue). Alright, so their fifth full-length LP is out, and it’s called amo – let’s get into it. It’s first appearance was the killer lead single back in August, “MANTRA,” which, off the bat, slammed us with a punchy, grisly electro-massacre, and premiered a new sound for these guys that felt significantly meaner, cleaner and just altogether striking. Even after six albums and 15 years of (all kinds of) damage, Sykes does not hold back on this, or any of the new material, for that matter – not in vocals, and certainly not in experimentation.
Having come a long way from their early deathcore sound, this band has managed to expand their style in a way that’s grown just as much in maturity as it has in wrath. The band describes this new material as being “weirder and darker” than ever, while staying true to their usual themes of betrayal, vengeance and heartbreak. However, they conveniently forgot to mention the biggest leap made on this new record, and that is its sharp move towards electronics. Don’t get me wrong, they always tend to have this uniquely electronic twist on metal, but this new stuff has veered into another territory. (Seriously, check out “Mantra” for more details.) But, all that being said – this new collection of arena synth-rock jams has, regardless, struck the right chord in 2019’s alt rock industry.
Still having their heavy-handed touch of cynical theatrics, the band kicked off the amo era with the sinister appearance of billboards around the UK that read, “Do you want to start a cult with me?” Soon to follow were the singles, spanning from the ruthless, biting sarcasm of “wonderful life” to the jammy, synth-pop backbone of “medicine.” As far as the introduction to this record goes, I should say it’s: bold, diverse, and practically swallowed whole by this beast of a new sonic identity that’s been spawned by amo.
“Medicine” by Bring Me the Horizon official video via YouTube
A lot of things you hear on this record, though, can be attributed simply to some of Bring Me the Horizon’s ever-enduring traits, like the record’s simple yet enlightened topics and Oli’s grizzly lyrical humor. This new collection of anthems is total chaos, infused with synth experimentation, genre invention and a general lack of shits given (which is exactly what I come to this band in hopes of finding). “Heavy metal” and the electronica thrasher “sugar honey ice & tea” have become favorites of mine quite possibly because of just how well they flaunt this band’s unhinged approach to songwriting and production. On the opposite end of this sound, songs like “in the dark” and “mother tongue” may stick out amongst their heavier neighbors, but give the record an awesome pop-rock flavor.
From where I’m sitting, Bring Me the Horizon’s music has matured with their personalities, their lifestyles, their tastes and, overall, their talents. This album showcases their acute attention to detail, their sophisticated sense of sound, and, from what I understand, has effectively removed them from their potential move towards ‘rock’s most disappointing.’ Rest assured, cult members, you’ll be moshing in no time.
“sugar honey iced tea” by Bring Me the Horizon official video via YouTube
More Licks
Posted Feb 1 2019 11:03 am
Genre: Indie
Bring Me the Horizon’s new collection of arena synth-rock anthems struck the right chord in 2019
A review of amo by Bring Me the Horizon
jam it while you read…
The UK’s most reluctantly beloved metalcore band, Bring Me the Horizon, is finally back with new jams since 2016 (That’s the Spirit) – it has been long overdue guys. And from the sound of it, they’ve given the last record’s grungier style a break, along with frontman Oli Sykes’ vocals (also long overdue). Alright, so their fifth full-length LP is out, and it’s called amo – let’s get into it. It’s first appearance was the killer lead single back in August, “MANTRA,” which, off the bat, slammed us with a punchy, grisly electro-massacre, and premiered a new sound for these guys that felt significantly meaner, cleaner and just altogether striking. Even after six albums and 15 years of (all kinds of) damage, Sykes does not hold back on this, or any of the new material, for that matter – not in vocals, and certainly not in experimentation.
Having come a long way from their early deathcore sound, this band has managed to expand their style in a way that’s grown just as much in maturity as it has in wrath. The band describes this new material as being “weirder and darker” than ever, while staying true to their usual themes of betrayal, vengeance and heartbreak. However, they conveniently forgot to mention the biggest leap made on this new record, and that is its sharp move towards electronics. Don’t get me wrong, they always tend to have this uniquely electronic twist on metal, but this new stuff has veered into another territory. (Seriously, check out “Mantra” for more details.) But, all that being said – this new collection of arena synth-rock jams has, regardless, struck the right chord in 2019’s alt rock industry.
Still having their heavy-handed touch of cynical theatrics, the band kicked off the amo era with the sinister appearance of billboards around the UK that read, “Do you want to start a cult with me?” Soon to follow were the singles, spanning from the ruthless, biting sarcasm of “wonderful life” to the jammy, synth-pop backbone of “medicine.” As far as the introduction to this record goes, I should say it’s: bold, diverse, and practically swallowed whole by this beast of a new sonic identity that’s been spawned by amo.
“Medicine” by Bring Me the Horizon official video via YouTube
A lot of things you hear on this record, though, can be attributed simply to some of Bring Me the Horizon’s ever-enduring traits, like the record’s simple yet enlightened topics and Oli’s grizzly lyrical humor. This new collection of anthems is total chaos, infused with synth experimentation, genre invention and a general lack of shits given (which is exactly what I come to this band in hopes of finding). “Heavy metal” and the electronica thrasher “sugar honey ice & tea” have become favorites of mine quite possibly because of just how well they flaunt this band’s unhinged approach to songwriting and production. On the opposite end of this sound, songs like “in the dark” and “mother tongue” may stick out amongst their heavier neighbors, but give the record an awesome pop-rock flavor.
From where I’m sitting, Bring Me the Horizon’s music has matured with their personalities, their lifestyles, their tastes and, overall, their talents. This album showcases their acute attention to detail, their sophisticated sense of sound, and, from what I understand, has effectively removed them from their potential move towards ‘rock’s most disappointing.’ Rest assured, cult members, you’ll be moshing in no time.
Medicine by Bring Me the Horizon off new LP amo. (You’ve really gotta just lean into this one.)
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on reddit
Share on email
Share on tumblr
Posted on February 1 2019 @ 11:03 AM
Written by Becca Carroll
Submit a Comment
tags
More Licks