Review: Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal

Info

Name: Bring Me The Horizon

Album: Sempiternal

Style: Metalcore

Released: 2013

Label: RCA (Sony)

From: England

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bmthofficial

Website: www.bringmethehorizon.co.uk

So, I scrolled through the latest Facebook posts on my wall and suddenly found a recommendation for the latest Bring Me The Horizon album. Normally, this wouldn't influence me so much as the band never actually convinced me musically or off-stage. But seeing that this recommendation was made by one of my favourite metalcore bands (namely August Burns Red), I was a little surprised and had to give “Sempiternal” a chance.

The album starts with a typical BMTH-song called “Can You Feel My Heart”. Seeing the title, I'm not really convinced but listening to it more than once, the song gets better and better. No hit for me but still a useful song concerning the variety on the album. “The House of Wolves” is the first harder track on the record and this time the band can definitely convince me. Even shouter Oli Sykes doesn't sound like the 16-year-old girl he always sounded like, although still more like a girl than Walls of Jericho's Candace Kucsulain.

As mentioned in one of the previous reviews, the name “Empire” is frequently used by bands that I want to review this year. BMTH add “Let Them Sing” sing in brackets but still the name is more or less the same. The song itself is pretty much of the same style as “The House of Wolves” and again I'm not disappointed. Especially the groovy intro is very catchy. Great song. “Sleepwalking” is a little more of a change to the record. This time it's the catchy chorus that doesn't want to leave my ears. Linkin Park couldn't have done better in their early years and the breakdowns right after the chorus gives it the necessary metalcore sound. To be recommended.

“Go to Hell, For Heaven's Sake” has pretty much the same style as “Sleepwalking” but the title alone deserves all points the song could get. It's a little more silent but still absolutely worth listening to. The same can be said about the highlight on the record. “Shadow Moses” makes me wonder, when BMTH started to sound as male as they do in this song. The first highlight is the breakdown right after the intro, the second is the one right after the first chorus and the third one the repetition of the second breakdown just before the ending of the song. Why don't they always sound like this? And why don't they sound like this for 45 minutes? That song is a hit.

“And the Snakes Start to Sing” is a song that goes back to BMTH's old sound. I can hear Oli Skyes' tears while he sings – in my opinion, a very superfluous song. I'm lucky that the record isn't on vinyl which makes it much easier to skip that track. Too bad, the album just started to become better. “Seen It All Before” starts in the same way, but at least this one doesn't stay as melancholy. That song's way better than the previous one but still, no track that I could recommend.

I can definitely recommend “Antivist”, though. My hopes for a positive musical development are rising while listening to the hardcore intro and lyrics, that demonstrate again how charming Oli Sykes can be. Especially the line “There will be no peaceful revolution / no war without blood” is outstanding and should animate certain people to use their brains. “Crooked Young” again is a song worth listening to. The breakdowns alone make me want to visit a live concert. Great track. Full stop.

Although „Hospital for Souls“ is again a very emotional track, it is also a very nice ending for the album. Still, seven minutes make it a little too long for me.

What a surprise! BMTH have developed their style and are going to become a pretty good metalcore band. In my opinion, there are still a little too many tears shed here or there, but if the band can stop doing this, they'll certainly be a candidate for my future playlists.

Listen to “The House of Wolves“, “Go to Hell, For Heaven's Sake“, “Shadow Moses“ (!!!), “Antivist“, “Crooked Young“

Bewertung: 8,5 von 10 Punkten

Tracklist:

1. Can You Feel My Heart?

2. The House of Wolves

3. Empire (Let Them Sing)

4. Sleepwalking

5. Go to Hell, For Heaven's Sake

6. Shadow Moses

7. And the Snakes Start to Sing

8. Seen It All Before

9. Antivist

10. Crooked Young

11. Hospital For Souls

Members:

Vocals: Oliver Sykes

Guitars: Lee Malia

Bass: Matt Kean

Keyboard: Jordan Fish

Drums: Matthew Nicholls