Metal Monday: Bring Me The Horizon

Bring Me The Horizon is one of the most innovative metalcore bands in the genre today. Hailing from Sheffield, England, this rock quintet has pushed the boundaries of “metal” and “deathcore” so far that they have even bled over into genres like pop, hip-hop, and electronica.

Their first three albums had an unmistakable sound that shoves everything else out of the way in favor of an all-out barrage of sound. As teenagers, they formed the band, hitting the ground running with their 2006 release, Count Your Blessings. Take a second and listen to any track off their first album, like “Love & Liquor Lost” or “(I Used To Make Out With) Medusa.” It’s loud, fast, and unabashedly deathcore. Without a doubt, Bring Me The Horizon has been brimming with talent from the beginning.

Their sound has certainly evolved with time and maturity as a band. In 2015, their album, That’s The Spirit, made a resounding impact on fans and critics alike. Tracks like “Throne,” “Happy Song,” and “Follow You” have barreled to the top of their own charts, amassing over 100 million plays.

Bring Me The Horizon hasn’t rested on their laurels, though. This year, they released amo, with tracks that are already rivaling their elders of four years. Massive plays are not the only things that these albums have in common, though. Both That’s The Spirit and amo have seen Bring Me The Horizon developing a new sound that almagamates their refined deathcore sound with elements of electronica, hip-hop, and experimental music. And, clearly, it worked.

Just last month, the band has released one of the most intense music videos of the year for their track “Ludens.” The track was written for Hideo Kojima’s latest game, Death Stranding, and it was pulled together in just five days. Without fail, though, Bring Me The Horizon delivered.

Kojima is just my favourite developer, he’s a legend. I looked at Kojima’s whole ethos, went on his website, and as it was loading it came up with this thing that said, ‘We’re not homosapiens, we’re homoludens’. It’s Latin for ‘player’ and it’s all about how he believes that our creativity is our greatest asset and the biggest hope for mankind. It said something along the lines that even if all the flowers die and the world is at an endpoint, there would still be hope if there were humans on the planet because we find ways to adapt.

Oli Sykes, NME

“Ludens” is one of the most creatively experimental songs that Bring Me The Horizon has released. With the unique prompt of a video game, they took inspiration from an unexpected place, and went above and beyond. Listening to “Ludens,” you’ll be sure to hear the abrupt dead air that invokes incredible tension, and then entire song comes to a climax right after one of these pauses. The breakdown is massive and is sure to knock you off your feet.

It doesn’t sound like anything off amo, but it doesn’t sound like anything off any of our records. It hits a different tone.

Oli Sykes, NME

Their 2019 full length, amo, and their single, “Ludens,” are available on all platforms. You can check out more from Bring Me The Horizon below. If you want to rock out with the band live in concert, check out their official website for tour dates.

Strings

Bring Me The Horizon might experiment with their sound, but they always use Ernie Ball Not Even Slinkys, 8-String Slinkys, and Hybrid Slinkys bass strings on the low end.