Bring Me the Horizon have experienced a rapid surge of popularity over the past few years. Since transferring to a more accessible sound on the excellent Sempiternal, they have gained both new fans and a newfound respect. This was enhanced at the AP Awards, in which the aforementioned Sempiternal won album of the year. Frontman Oli Sykes admitted in his speech that he suffered from ketamine addiction before the recording sessions, demonstrating commendable bravery. Building on a headline show at Wembley Arena, the band released their highly anticipated new album That’s The Spirit this week.
The album opens with ‘Doomed’. It is heavily influenced by electronica and contains a trance-influenced synth. The production is dark, gloomy, and mesmerizing. It features a passionate chorus with Sykes singing “So come rain on my parade / ‘Cause I wanna feel it”, complete with a gigantic sound setting the tone for the album. ‘Happy Song’ celebrates depression; the upbeat pummelling guitars are perfectly suitable for a moshpit. Sykes hasn’t completely lost his scream, yelling: “So let’s sing along a little fucking louder”, giving the listener a feeling of positivity. ‘Throne’ contains a strong Linkin Park influence. A homage of self-referencing lyrics soundtracked to an electronic-rock backdrop, culminating with the lyrics ‘Every wound will shape me / every scar will build my throne’. This continues the uplifting mood, the truthful lyrics resonating strongly.
‘Follow You’ slows the tempo down, Lee Malia’s ambient guitar bringing an indie rock vibe. The chorus would fit in an arena; Sykes singing “If you could drag me to hell if it meant I could hold your hand”. The atmospheric vibes sound like the work of an entirely different band however they flow nicely on the album.
In comparison to their earlier metalcore efforts, That’s The Spirit is a positive upbeat record with big radio-friendly choruses. A case in point is the infectious ‘Avalanche’. An extremely well structured piece of songwriting, it has the potential to skyrocket them to bigger things. The track contains a contrast of emotions; for example Sykes sings: “I feel like suicide”, but the upbeat epic synths in the background bring a feeling of happiness.
‘Run’ incorporates chopped up samples and beautiful reverberated textures. The synths provided by Jordan Fish are incredibly well produced and the layered vocals bring out the dark atmosphere. It is Bring Me the Horizon at their most creative and shows their willingness to try out new things.
‘Blasphemy’, the penultimate track, is another album highlight. It is beautifully arranged, the reverb on the snare drum sounding like it was recorded in a cave. Additionally, it features an ambient solo from Malia and one of Sykes’ best vocal performances. Despite the heavy riffs working well with the fluid drumming, there is the nagging feeling that the track is screaming for a hard-hitting breakdown.
The album ends on the closer ‘Oh No’. The anthemic vocals are reminiscent of an indie rock band, while the EDM style production confirms that they are flirting with mainstream territory. Lyrically, it takes a dark theme as it could discuss Sykes’ drug addiction: ‘Don’t call it a party, cause it never stops / Now one is too many but it’s never enough”. The saxophone solo demonstrates the diversity on the album, bringing it to a relaxing close.
That’s the Spirit is the sound of a band on top of their game. It demonstrates an adventurous approach to songwriting, whilst still retaining a strong emotional depth. This helps make it an accessible album, suggesting that Bring Me the Horizon could take the alternative rock/metal scene by storm in years to come.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos