After a torturous delay of eight months, Bring Me The Horizon released their seventh studio album: POST HUMAN: NeX GEn – and it is one monster of an album.
Due to the departure of key band member, Jordan Fish, worries arose that Bring Me The Horizon (aka BMTH) would suffer creatively. But how wrong we all were. This album takes post-hardcore and infuses it with the hyperactivity of hyper-pop to generate a nostalgic, but futuristic sounding record.
Lead singer, Oli Sykes, tells NME: “I admire how obnoxious, trashy and in your face hyper-pop feels”, which he describes as akin to emo, hardcore and screamo. Theoretically, the amalgamation of genres could have made this a messy album, but somehow the disparate genre styles strike a beautiful balance with each other.
‘Kool-Aid’ is clearly a highlight. It’s overflowing with noise and blistering drum sequences. The lyrics are menacing: “You got a taste now, drank the Kool-Aid by the jug / you should’ve known that this was gonna end in tears”. The theme of a lack of autonomy and a cult-like society snakes its way through the lyrics of the album. This is one of the heavier, darker songs and the breakdown is mental, especially with the rapid guitar shreds near the end.
In comparison to Sempiternal, an esteemed BMTH album, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn is up-tempo, fast-paced and dare I say, risky. Take ‘LosT’ for example, certainly receiving mixed opinions due to its pop-punk vibe. ‘LosT’ entwines EDM (electronic dance music) into the brutal drum breakdown and it works like magic. ‘YOUtopia’ and ‘Top 10 staTues tHat CriEd bloOd’ also implement the 2000s pop-punk rhythms and their elements are euphoric. While still producing catchy, “in-your-face” tunes, the band breaks the rules of the mainstream and stay true to the metal at the heart of their music.
It’s blatant to any alternative metal fan that ‘LiMOusine’ could be found in a Deftones album. Oli’s grungy vocals coexist smoothly with the dissonant guitar work that bleeds through the track. Featured singer AURORA’s delicate vocals contrast the sludgy dragging feel of the song. Its atmospheric sound adds something dark and mystifying to the album.
Sometimes, listening to this album is like stepping into a video game with its retro arcade feel. The chirpy video-game sound effects patterned through add a satisfying digital touch. ‘R.i.p. (duskCOre remix)’ leans into the unique hyper-pop sound which adds a vibrancy to the album.
‘DIg it’, the closing track is, at first, duller than the rest. However, less than halfway through the track the weighty guitar riffs kick in and it ends with a robotic message from the central anime-esque character, she states:
“Hello user, this is M8 / It looks like I encountered a fatal error / For more information go to—–” and then she and the album terminate.
Ultimately, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn is an insanely fun album that proves the creative genius of Bring Me The Horizon. The production is phenomenal and the ominous ending just makes whatever they decide to release next that much more exciting.
Words by Layla Kiyani
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.