Artist: Bring Me The Horizon
Label: Visible Noise
Release: 2010
Length: 52:57
Rating: 3/5
The difference is way too obvious. Like everything in this world, this one’s no exception, and it has its pluses and minuses. Plenty of people would say the new BMTH record is the same as its predecessor Suicide Season, but they’re wrong. There are similarities, but it’s a completely different beast.
The most obvious change, for starters, is that Jona Weinhofen is in the band. As the former guitarist of Australia’s I Killed the Prom Queen and California’s Bleeding Through, he brought a lot of new stuff to his new band. It all kicked off in November 2009, when vocalist Oliver Sykes announced that they’d started working on a new album. By March 2010 the material was apparently written, so the guys hopped on a plane and flew off to Sweden, where they started recording under producer Fredrik Nordström. They wrapped up in June, which was late, since not all the vocals were in the can yet, so they tracked the rest in Los Angeles before the Warped Tour. But besides Oli’s different vocals and the electronic bits, the album has some other surprises too. Josh Scogin of American metalcore band The Chariot lent guest vocals to The Fox and the Wolf. The album also features Josh Franceschi of the quintet You Me at Six and Canadian Lights Valerie Poxleitner, who shows up on Crucify Me and Don’t Go. The album as a whole isn’t bad, but Oli’s chaotic vocals push it into the background a little. Then again, they’ve reaped so much fame with the kids that they don’t have much to worry about when it comes to failure. On top of that, Oli also has his own clothing brand, Drop Dead, which he uses to promote his band and anyone else hungry for support.
What else is there to say? The band has matured. They left Count Your Blessings behind, and with it the excess breakdowns and monotonous music. The album is worth a listen. Even for those who are fans of heavier, more brutal bands in the same genre. We wish BMTH lots of success going forward, and hope Oli polishes his voice a bit so the next album is kick-ass across the board. As the famous pirate Jack Sparrow would say: “Now… Bring me that horizon!”
Lineup
Oliver Sykes – vocals
Lee Malia – guitar
Jona Weinhofen – guitar and vocals
Matt Kean – bass
Matt Nicholls – drums
Production
Fredrik Nordström
Tracklist
1. Crucify Me (feat. Lights)
2. Anthem
3. It Never Ends
4. Fuck (feat. Josh Franceschi)
5. Don’t Go (feat. Lights)
6. Home Sweet Hole
7. Alligator Blood
8. Visions
9. Blacklist
10. Memorial
11. Blessed with a Curse
12. The Fox and the Wolf (feat. Josh Scogin)
