By: James Southworth
Rating: 3/5 Stars
For better or for worse, there are many metal/rock bands out there right now that have been doing regime changes on their sound. I'd argue that one of the bands that really made this trend gain traction was Bring Me The Horizon. They are one of the bands who's probably had the most significant changes over the years. They started off as a deathcore band, but started becoming a totally different breed of music with "Sempiternal" (the album that introduced me to the band and is still my favorite by them). This release heavily divided fans, and the divide became even wider with the more straight up rock/electronic effort "That's The Spirit". I personally really like both of these albums, so I was intrigued to see what BMTH would do with what they called their most pop inspired record, "amo".
The best singular word I can use to describe the listening experience of this release is "perplexing". I still am not entirely sure whether I like or dislike more of this release, which is why my rating is straight down the middle. There are some tracks on here that I really enjoy for sure, and even at least one that I might put among the band's best work to date. The album starts off with one of its three electronic interludes, "i apologize if you feel something". If this were the first song you were to hear by this band, you could've never predicted they at one time were deathcore. This is the only interlude on the album I enjoy. I really think it sets an intriguing atmosphere for the rest of the album, and establishes the running theme of how 'love' can be a source for restoration or for serious hurt. After this we get the lead single "MANTRA". I definitely don't like this song as much as when I first heard it (in fact, I wouldn't consider it a significant highlight), but I will say that it's still a lot of rocking fun. The buzzing guitar riff and Oli's powerful vocals make this song sound like it would be right at home on "That's The Spirit". I also appreciate the screams that Oliver does a couple times throughout the song. After this song, we get a total change in pace with the dark pop cut "nihilist blues". This is honestly my favorite song on the album, maybe because it's the most out of left field change for the band yet. They took a big risk with this song and it pays off. The booming synths give this track a real feeling of dread; it's unsettling and is almost otherworldly. The off kilter vibe is helped by featured experimental artist Grimes, who only serves to make this song even more excellent. This song is one of the band's darkest cuts lyrically (which is saying something), as it delves full on into nihilism with some great writing: "A twitch in my spine, a mutual disorder/Isolation neophyte/Too afraid to taste your conscience/You march in the dark, little lamb to the slaughter". Lyrics like that, as well as Oli's ghostly falsetto and Grime's softly menacing voice actually sent cold chills up my spine. I really, really wish that there were more cuts on this album that gave me the passionate emotions that this one ignited in me. This album works best when the band fully embraces whatever sound they are going for, and this song is a perfect example of that.
There are several other songs that stick out for good reasons on this release. "wonderful life" has a delightfully satirical message to it. This is accentuated by Oli's vocal performance; I really like that he lets his British accent come out on it. This song has the most blistering guitar and drum work on the whole album, and stands out as the most intense moment on the whole album. It also helps that Dani Filth of the band Cradle of Filth is featured. His unique growls bring a different flavor to the part of the album he's featured in; he feel like he particularly brings out the satirical aspects the song has. The chorus of this track is definitely the one of the most catchy on the album, as it has this powerful quality that makes you want to sing along every time you hear it. "Medicine" was the first track on this album that really had a significant controversy behind it. I could see why this one is one of the most divisive among fans, as it has some of the most significant pop vibes behind it of any song on the album. And yet, I still really like the song quite a bit. The usage of peppy piano as well as a more pop/rock flavored guitar riff make the track legitimately fun. In the lyrical department, I'll admit this song is a bit cliched of a breakup anthem, but the solid musicality mainly makes up for it. The second half of the album is unfortunately a little bit weaker as the band mostly plays the pop tendencies safe, but there's two significant highlights here. "Mother Tongue" is another huge favorite of mine on the album, as it is one of the only BMTH songs that is legitimately optimistic in both lyricism and sound. One of my favorite cuts from "That's The Spirit" is "Follow You", and this song feels like a spiritual successor to it (even though "Mother Tongue" is about Oliver's new wife). This track is legitimately sweet, as the song even has some lyrics in Portuguese, the native language of Sykes's wife. I love the song musically, as the chorus in particular is big and anthemic. The album ends off on a positive note with the touching cut "i don't know what to say", which is a dedication to a close friend of Oli's who passed away from cancer. The song has beautiful orchestration and a wonderful guitar solo in it as well.
There are some really high points in this album, but there are also some incredibly low points. I will give BTMH credit where it's due: they fully embraced their foray into more pop friendly territory, sometimes for better, other times for worse. One of the most annoying aspects of the album are the multiple instrumental interludes. I've seen a lot of people compare "amo" to Linkin Park's "A Thousand Suns". On some levels, I can see where those people are coming from. But at least in ATS, the interludes there did create a sense of cohesion and connection. That is far from the case on this release. You could take out all the electronic interludes and absolutely nothing would change. "Ouch" is particularly annoying to me because of how it uses the lyrics of "Follow You" in a bitter fashion. Since the subject of the song was cheating on Oli, I can see why the song would not leave the best taste in his mouth, but it still just makes me mad that the message behind the song was upended in such an awful way. The vocals on the song are incredibly annoying. I really don't like "fresh bruises" either, a highly repetitive electronic interlude with a distorted vocal effect. This song goes on for three minutes, which is WAY too long. There are a couple full length songs that don't leave the best mark. "In the dark" is about as typical of a breakup anthem as I've ever heard. It is one of the most forgettable songs on the album, and no one in the band sounds super invested in it. "Sugar honey ice and tea" is my least favorite song on the album because the hook of the song makes me cringe. If you take the first four letters of the song, it spells out a certain word (but I'm sure you already figured that out). It's such an insipid and childish thing, and not remotely clever in the way the band was clearly trying to make it out to be. I hate the guitar work in the song, and the synths have an annoying quality to them. "Why you gotta kick me when i'm down" sees Oli trying-and failing- to take on the trap/rap style. Can bands please just stop latching on to this trend? BTMH adds nothing to this sound, as it sounds like every other trap cut ever. "Heavy metal" was a cut I originally started out liking, but it's rubbed me the wrong way the more I've thought about it. I get what the band is doing: they're calling out the BTMH fans who only want them to stay true to their deathcore sound, and don't accept change. I can't blame the band for being frustrated at a significant portion of their fan base, because there are so many of them that are straight up toxic. But this song doesn't feel like the best response. It feels like they're punching down to me; even though the band is in the right in some ways, being hateful and angry to your fans isn't the best move to make.
All in all, because of the major divide between legitimately great tracks and legitimately bad ones, I've been left unsure of how exactly I lean on this new Bring Me The Horizon album. I can't say that I'm indifferent about this album. I feel passionately about my feelings for most of the songs, whether those feelings are positive or negative. I can't say that I love the album, though, and I can't say I hate it either. So, I'm just sort of left scratching my head, something that an album doesn't make me do that often. I certainly recommend listening to the album, as it is one of the strangest listening experiences I've had in recent memory. The good tracks on here are really good and more than worth your time. Maybe we'll see BMTH deliver a masterful pop record in the future, but for now it looks like they're trying to wade in the waters of multiple genres and see what sticks. Whether that is an entirely good or bad thing, I can't say. I'll just leave it up to you, reader, to decide for yourself when you hear the album.
Favorite Songs: "nihilist blues", "mother tongue", "wonderful life", "i don't know what to say", "medicine"
Least Favorite Songs: "sugar honey ice & tea", "ouch", "why you gotta kick me when i'm down?", "fresh bruises"
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