I've always been a fan of Bring Me The Horizon, even back when a set
of hair straighteners was the most important 'instrument'. And as fans (and
even non-fans) can see, their evolution has been something else. Sure, they aren't
exactly trend setters, but when they move with what others around them are
doing they make sure they make their mark. Sempiternal is their first album where they haven't
followed trends themselves, and this seems to be what they were trying to achieve when they
started meddling with electronics throughout Suicide Season and There
Is A Hell…
Sempiternal
kicks off with so much synth in Can You Feel My Heart, you would
think you're listening to a completely different genre. But before long Oli
Sykes and co. join in and it gets heavy, quickly. Then something bewildering
happens. Oli sings. I can't get my head around this. The only thing that
confuses me more is the fact that it actually sounds good. And it's a great
fact that he can sing, which eliminates the need for so many gimmicky guest
spots, which I think we can all agree there were far too many of on albums
past.
New single Sleepwalking comes on a few
tracks down the line. By now I'm glad that they took synth player Jordan Fish
on full time, as the electronics in this album are blended a lot better than that
of their earlier attempts. Especially on Sleepwalking, the synth adds depth and
doesn't sound like they're trying to keep up with the musical Joneses.
As Sempiternal moves on it flows brilliantly, and as Shadow Moses starts playing, it highlights how well they've managed to blend the
synths and heavy guitars. Even their slower songs, like And The Snakes Start To Sing, show how much they've grown in terms of song writing. Where the
quieter songs on There
Is A Hell… had a tendency to feel quite empty, the
quieter moments on Sempiternal have a more
atmospheric feel.
As the album comes to an end with Hospital For Souls, it's clear that the Sheffield five piece have come on in leaps and
bounds since the days of their first EP, and it seems they've finally evolved
into something that really works for them; trust me, it works.
Sempiternal by Bring Me The Horizon is
out on April 1st via RCA
JL
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