When some people hear the term,
“metal,” referring to the hardcore, thrasher music genre their opinions on the
matter can be seen in the immediate reactions of their face. Either they like hardcore,
or you can see the affect Miley Cyrus has had through the repulsed contortion
of their face. But Bring Me the
Horizon has proven they aren’t like regular metal bands. Being no stranger to
the almost cult world of hardcore metal, they have already earned a spot in the
hearts of many metal fans with two previously released full length albums. With
their new album, There Is a Hell, Believe
Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven Lets Keep It a Secret, they have managed
to do create something even Miley Cyrus fans will have to admit is pretty
unbelievable.
Bring Me the Horizon has proven
they are a force to be reckoned with.
They surpass merely being defined as a great metal band by forging the
awesome, molten essence of metalcore. Track after track of epic metal throw-downs
rocket the listener strait up to the holy ground of metal music. A place where songs like “Anthem”
reverberate from every cloud, packing a heart pounding punch of powerful drum
beats, fast paced guitar and bass dynamics, and insane vocals, and songs like
“Alligator Blood” where lead singer Oliver “Oli” Sykes breaks through the front
door of your ear drums and yells from the pit of his soul, “Let’s play a game
of Russian roulette/ I’ll load the gun, you place the bets/Tell me who will
make it out alive,” where the adrenaline-charged guitar, bass, drum, and
keyboard accompaniments will keep you floating inches from the ground.
Before you Miley Cyrus lovers, or
anyone with a fear of screaming vocals, walk away, you need to know that Bring
Me the Horizon isn’t all about kicking a hole into your eardrums. In “Don’t
Go,” the band demonstrates how the depth of metal can be cultivated in a softer,
more toned down sound. Opening the
song with somber violin, they set an effective subdued tone. They build up the
song’s dimension with a soft guttural roar that really hits your soul. The
drums only add more depth with pounding explosions that ensue with a very edgy
guitar background. Here, they accomplish a feat many bands of this same genre have
trouble capturing: the heart of metal in a humbled state.
Two tracks stand out from the
others as completely earth shattering. “Crucify Me,” starts out with metallic
guitar riffs and eerie background tones. Halfway through the first minute, the
band blasts into your chest cavity with a death metal orchestra. During the
break downs, a crazy church chorus chimes in, “There is a Hell, believe me I’ve
seen it/There is a Heaven, let’s keep it a secret.” They finish the song with
ambient acoustic guitar progressions and a smooth voice from a mystery woman
(singer Lights) adding another aspect to the great colossus that is Bring Me
the Horizon. The next is a track with penetrating vocals, breakdowns that will
leave you breathless, and an undercurrent so explicit it is difficult to write
about much less describe. “Fuck” successfully grabs you by the heart and just doesn’t
let you go.
With, “There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven Lets Keep
It a Secret,” Bring Me the
Horizon will become a juggernaut in the metalcore scene, and after being
launched to metal high heaven, even pop fans will come to love the true spirit
of metal music (or at least begin to understand it). A place where pure metalcore
makes your heart feel like it’s going to burst out of your rib cage, or your
skin feel like it is going to rip right off you face. Where once you’ve seen the light and descended back to Earth
you will never be able to look at music the same way.
4.5 stars