Bring Me The Horizon - That's The Spirit (Album Review)
Thursday, 17 September 2015
Written by Alec Chillingworth
People used to detest Bring Me The Horizon. Despite borrowing from the hallowed pages of At The Gates, melding it with electronic-tinged metalcore and delivering tunes heavier than a cruise liner full of Uruk-hai, nobody was having it. “They've got shit haircuts,” they said. “That's not metal,” they said. But the band stuck it out. Their fourth LP, 'Sempiternal', had everyone dribbling at the prospect of a follow-up. So two years later, here's 'That's The Spirit'.
Doomed squirms amid Jordan Fish's synths. Could this be another Can You Feel My Heart? No. Oli Sykes unleashes a falsetto croon. 'Count Your Blessings' fans weep. This is not deathcore, nor is it metalcore, nor is it suitable for any other pigeonhole. This is Bring Me The Horizon breaking free.
Happy Song's still got the venom that was present on 'Sempiternal', rolling out a gnarled nu-metal riff alongside cheerleader chants and bubonic levels of sarcasm. Aside from that, though, you're not getting much metal. Oh No sounds like the fucking Wombats. Really, it does.
These days Bring Me The Horizon just write great songs. They do electronic rock miles better than Linkin Park ever have done, with Throne and What You Need both possessing punch and warbled vocoder.
Follow You proves they can do twee, heartfelt love songs better than any indie-rock band. Drown, Blasphemy and Avalanche are arena anthems. It's U2 and Coldplay's worst nightmare. They’re ludicrous, infectious and nothing short of perfect.
Blasphemy boasts an obnoxiously bluesy guitar solo, but 'That's The Spirit' doesn't actually need more Lee Malia. As welcome his furious riffing was back in the day, Fish's synth jabs add an extra depth to proceedings, transforming incredible rock songs into, well, just incredible songs.
Sykes doesn't need to bellow like a Jurassic Park reject. There are still hints of his scream – True Friends, Throne and Happy Song all benefit from servings of tight-throated rage – but he can sing, and he can sing bloody well. The bloke's not got the broadest range but he can pen a chorus that would sit perfectly in a stadium, a sweaty club or on an iPhone advert.
It's atmospheric. It's anthemic. It's got a saxophone on it. This album will see Bring Me The Horizon headlining festivals. It will shape the landscape of rock music for years to come and, fittingly, it will stop the buzz around Bring Me The Horizon being labelled as hyperbole. 'That's The Spirit' is the one album you must buy in 2015.
Bring Me The Horizon Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sat October 31 2015 - SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall
Tue November 24 2015 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Wed November 25 2015 - EDINBURGH Edinburgh Corn Exchange
Thu November 26 2015 - DONCASTER Dome
Fri November 27 2015 - CARDIFF Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Sat November 28 2015 - LONDON Alexandra Palace
Sun November 29 2015 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Mon November 30 2015 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Tue December 01 2015 - KINGSTON UPON THAMES Hippodrome
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