Bring Me The Horizon
That’s The Spirit
Sony Music Australia
Release Date: 11 September 2015
Review by Sam Sweeney
Bring Me The Horizon have done it again. Their fifth studio release That’s The Spirit, is undoubtedly the final part of the band’s transitional trilogy that began with There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It… in 2010. That’s The Spirit is an absolutely monumental album and proves that BMTH are more than capable of transcending the genre of metal and testing the boundaries of mainstream music without compromising or sacrificing the sound and style of their origin.
The album opens with Doomed, a track driven by syncopation and an enormous, continual contrast between the verse and chorus sections of the song. It is a massive introduction to and initiates the incessant momentum that underscores the entire album. Happy Song, the widely received first release from the album follows, and is almost intimidating in its enormity. It’s packed with heavy riffs and powerful vocals that drive the song, and is nothing short of an anthem.
Throne is somewhat reminiscent of tracks on BMTH’s 2013 release, Sempiternal. It showcases the immense vocal growth and development of vocalist Oli Sykes, with a catchy chorus that both empowers and enlivens its audience. True Friends, is another track of anthemic proportions, before Follow You captivates with its melodious and rhythmic drive. Quietly compelling vocals deliver lyrics such as “cross your heart and hope to die, promise me you’ll never leave my side,” and result in a track that is true example of beauty.
What You Need reintroduces the enormous, anthemic energy of the album’s earlier songs. It exudes energy with a climactic chorus and impressive vocals on the behalf of Sykes. It is abundantly clear at the halfway point of the album that Bring Me The Horizon possess a limitless ability to continue their musical growth. Avalanche delivers a commendable harmony between melodic riffs and massive vocals, while eighth track Run features another colossal chorus that is undeniably characteristic of That’s The Spirit. The rhythmic sections of this song deserve particular recognition, with drummer and percussionist Matt Nicholls maintaining an impressively tight beat for the duration of the song.
Drown, the first single released from the album, remains an anthem in the context of the other 10 tracks on the album. It sustains the enormous momentum of the 8 songs that precede it and accommodates the transition into what is potentially the heaviest track on the album, Blasphemy. This song features blatant commentary on the ignorance of the masses, and is arguably the lyrical sequel to Antivist from Sempiternal. In simple terms, Blasphemy, is an amalgamation of aggression and brutal honesty – two intrinsic parts of BMTH’s musical style.
That’s The Spirit ends on a high note; Oh No is underscored unexpectedly by pop influence, yet proves once more that BMTH have mastered the art of transcending their origins while maintaining the crucial elements of their roots. The album is nothing less than a showcase of the band’s tremendous evolution and will propel Bring Me The Horizon to a level equal to that of some of metal’s biggest names – it is an absolutely extraordinary musical experience.
