We did a brief analysis of Bring Me The Horizon's discography to try and answer that question
Bring Me The Horizon's first and last albums back-to-back is a bizarre experience. Someone unfamiliar with the band would surely think it wasn't them. And, indeed, the sounds are completely opposite. From repetitive death metal with many technical guitar riffs, the sound became catchy and pop, with influences of R&B and rap.
However, each Bring Me album has brought a gradual change, and the result becomes "expected" when analyzed. This is because the band likes to reiterate that they don't want to be stuck in a single type of sound.
Count Your Blessings (2006), the debut album, clearly falls under the label of death metal with thrash elements. The guitars are brutal, the vocals are screamed from beginning to end. There isn't a single moment of proper sung vocals. Each song has one or two breaks to lighten the extremely heavy sound. It even seems somewhat poorly produced, which led to a lot of criticism.
When they debuted, the band didn't gain recognition from those who didn't like this kind of "dirty" metal (in a good way). And they didn't win over fans of the genre either. The lyrics about sex, parties, and relationships alienated the more old-school fans. It was almost an emo version of a metal band.
The most musically well-thought-out construction came with the successor Suicide Season (2008). The band managed to fix some repetition problems and made an album where each track is recognizable on its own. Given that this wasn't so clear on the debut. Here, the first elements of electronic music emerge. A sound much more geared towards hardcore and metalcore. A spark of what would become songs like "Mantra", from the last album amo .
In There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It… (2010), rhythm guitarist Curtis Ward left the band. He was replaced by Australian Jona Weinhofen , whose participation lasted only for that album. But Jona's contribution can still be felt today, as this seems to be a major turning point in the band's sound.
From the first track, “Crucify Me,” the difference is felt. Acoustic guitar, electronic breaks, orchestrated elements. All of these would be repeated from then on. Jona's guitar, with David Gilmour , didn't take away the band's heaviness, but brought power. More varied influences appear, such as punk, post-rock, and a greater concern with the album's soundscape. “Blessed With a Curse” could very well have been part of That's The Spirit , which would only be released five years later.
We then arrive at Sempiternal , considered by many to be Bring Me The Horizon's masterpiece. Lyrically speaking, it's their most mature album. With vocalist Oli Sykes and other band members going through complicated life experiences, the album's atmosphere is much darker and deeper. Thank Jordan Fish for that, too. The new keyboardist helps build feelings and atmospheres for each track. The vocals are much more melodic. The catchy choruses emerge here. This is still a metal album; it's brutal and profound in just the right measure.
Which brings us to That's The Spirit (2015). Many of those who criticize the change in amo (2019) today forget the 2015 album phase. Most of the criticism that the band had sold out, that they were seeking a radio-friendly sound, began here. But the elements that had been gradually introduced into their discography appear in full force. It's as if every song on That's The Spirit were a huge hit that could be spread across several albums. Radio-friendly rock completely mixed with everything Bring Me had been doing up to that point.
If the influences came from thrash, death, hardcore, and electronic music, in amo , Bring Me The Horizon overflows with genres. In interviews, the members said that they didn't think about what the album would be like, but that they knew they wanted to be daring. The intelligent lyrics continue to appear, now with even greater sarcasm. "Heavy Metal" represents the band's current ideology well. "It's not heavy metal, but that's okay," says the track. A beatbox break emerges to startle fans more attached to the heavy sound.
“Mantra” is an alternative metal conscious of the directions of contemporary music. “Wonderful Life” is nu metal, so much so that it came from a writing session with Fred Durst . Even Grimes appears to create a dreamy and depressive ballad. All the elements had already been planted throughout the discography. This time, they just appear clearer.
In an interview with Wikimetal , drummer Matt Nichols spoke about the changes in the discography. “Rock is stagnant. There’s a lack of creativity and people taking risks. It seems like bands are taking a step back to be comfortable doing what they know. I think people need to open their minds a little.”
This seems to be the formula Bring Me The Horizon to remain relevant. And the result has shown. Amo is the band's first album to reach the top of the charts in the UK, for example.
Change doesn't have to be a bad word, after all. Especially in a complex discography that encompasses fans of diverse styles. In Nichols' words, "If you're a heavy metal fan, you can listen to our old sound, or look for other bands that are still in that genre. You can't please everyone. It is what it is." May Bring Me continue to be daring, with highs and lows, but never static.
Bring Me The Horizon will be performing at Lollapalooza 2019 , click here to buy tickets.
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