SHEFFIELD rock/metal staples Bring Me the Horizon have comprised the ultimate soundtrack of 2020 with their new EP Post Human: Survival Horror.
Released on October 30th via RCA Records, the nine-track release explores every possible feeling of a lockdown-experiencing, pandemic-navigating world that we’ve all sadly come to know so well. But if there’s one thing that music also does so well, it expresses how you’re feeling better than your own thoughts ever could, and BMTH have managed to do just that with this EP.
We’re thrown into the deep end from the get-go with autobiographical screamo (for lack of a better word) smasher, “Dear Diary”. It’s a lot heavier than we’ve come to expect from recent Bring Me releases (see amo, That’s the Spirit), but the more faithful fans have always known the band are still capable of producing these darker, heavier tracks when the time is right. With lyrics screamed from frontman Oli Sykes like “God is a shithead and we’re his rejects,” and “kinda’ sad my whole entire existence’s been a waste
Ahh, never mind, it’s not the end of the world, oh, wait,” it’s depressingly relatable to the more pessimistic of us.
Lead single “Parasite Eve” leaves little to the imagination of its’ subject matter; COVID-19. Coming out just after the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, the track really hits home (“when we forget the infection, will we remember the lesson?”). It’s a perfect example of the band melding their newer, poppier leanings with their tried and true heavier thrashing. It’s understandable why older fans of Bring Me might switch off with songs like this, but personally, I think it’s a perfectly natural progression of the direction of the band’s sound. The build-up and drop of the middle-eight section into the final chorus is textbook Bring Me the Horizon and harks back to similar techniques used in 2013’s “Antivist“.
“Teardrops” is an unbelievably catchy track, there’s no denying it; the chorus is etched into my brain after just a few listens. Sykes’ sung vocals are honestly incredibly impressive in this one and the main thing I noticed, he’s come on leaps and bounds from older sung tracks.
“Obey” is the track which got most people’s attention in the build-up campaign for the EP. Featuring fellow Yorkshireman Yungblud, if you thought Teardrops had a catchy chorus, you ain’t heard nothing yet! The music video is highly impressive and inventive too; who doesn’t love giant robots having a battle amongst skyscrapers and then ending up … you know what, just watch until the end.
“Itch For The Cure (When Will We be Free?)” is the shortest track on the EP, and serves as more of an insane intro to the next upcoming track. Nevertheless, it’s so cool to hear Bring Me take a foray into just straight up trancecore, and it’s a genre that suits them strangely well.
The aforementioned melds straight into “Kingslayer”, featuring Japan’s incredible export, Babymetal. Somehow, you can just immediately tell that the girl group are featuring on the track before they even open their mouths, due to the bouncy dance-pop sounds interspersed with a darker metal twinge. When the feature finally kicks in with vocals though, it’s hauntingly beautiful as Babymetal’s vocal stylings usually are. I’m honestly so impressed that BMTH have pulled this one off; it’s quite unique to their usual musical offerings and it’s honestly one of the highlights of the EP hands down. The electronic effects towards the latter end of the track are beyond eclectic and a complete trip in the best way.
The band have really embraced collaborative efforts on this EP, as the following track, “1×1”, is another perfect combination with London rock duo Nova Twins. Slower-paced than the rest of the EP, it still manages to pack a punch with its anthemic guitar riffs making it sound like some sort of stadium rock (props to Lee Malia). It’s also criminal not to mention that the lead singer of Nova Twins, Amy Love absolutely smashes the vocals on this feature. “Ludens” is sonically the most creative to me; Jordan Fish’s keys and programming effects absolutely make the song what it is, not to mention drummer Matt Nicholls and bassist Matt Kean’s airtight rhythm section stomping throughout.
The EP’s closer, “One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death” (wow, giving Fall Out Boy a run for their money with that lengthy song title, boys!), is absolutely the weirdest placement for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful, haunting ballad, and the feature of Evanescence’s Amy Lee couldn’t be more suited. It’s just so utterly different for a Bring Me the Horizon to go for this kind of sound. It’s gothic, it’s ethereal, it’s not what I expected for this band at all, but to be honest, I often seek something to surprise me, and they’ve definitely achieved that, so hats off to them. The production on this is sublime, as well, so big round of applause to Oli Sykes, Jordan Fish and producer Mick Gordon for writing and pulling this one of production wise.
Bring Me The Horizon have achieved something really cool with this release; it simultaneously documents this wild, depressing, crazy, soul destroying period of history we’re unfortunately living through, whilst also remaining able to embrace fun, ingenuity and creativity at its core. It’s genre-bending and inventive, and I honestly think they deserve a massive amount of respect for just doing whatever the hell they want. It’s not what you’ve come to expect, and that’s all you can ask for in music.
Listen to Post Human: Survival Horror below!
Follow Bring Me The Horizon at their website, on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
