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Bring Me The Horizon - amo
Release Date: 1/25/2019
Album Review: Adam Westenberger
Do you want to start a cult with me? This was the ominous invitation sent out by Sheffield, South Yorkshire based Bring Me the Horizon back in August of 2018. A little after that the band released their now Grammy nominated single "Mantra" and revealed that a new album was on the way. That album is amo, one of the bravest albums of the year, if not of the last five. With their sixth studio album, Bring Me the Horizon have solidified themselves as one of the best and most diverse bands to come out of the metalcore scene of the early aughts.
To say amo is a departure would be very short sighted. Bring Me the Horizon have been working on their musical resume for some time now and amo is a natural evolution of that. Taking the pop inspired tracks from albums such as That’s the Spirit and Sempiternal and refining it into the mature and well thought out experience that would become amo.
From the very start you can tell that the band knew that this album was going to generate quite the response. Bring Me the Horizon are no strangers of criticism. From their start as a deathcore band with the 2006 release Count Your Blessings the group has had a quite loyal and vocal following, but even more than that they had quite the loud group of detractors. Hardcore metal purists felt the bands look was too scene and not good for the genre as a whole. The boys couldn’t have cared less and moved on to craft some of the best metalcore the industry has ever seen. With every change the band has made has come an equal helping of love and hate, they have always been the talk of the scene.
With that said, amo feels like it could have also been subtitled “Sorry Not Sorry”. From the very first track “Sorry If You Feel Something,” the band set up what is to be one of their most diverse yet polarizing albums to date. The bands ability to transition from “Nihilist Blues”, a song that would be just as comfortable in front of an audience of EDM enthusiasts as it would be in front of an arena of rock fans, to “Wonderful Life” a blistering rock anthem featuring Dani Filth is quite the feat. With amo the band is able to shake their metalcore roots and evolve into the rock powerhouse that would be able to please even the largest festival crowd. With amo the boys from Sheffield are aiming to generate a reaction and get people to feel something. Tracks such as “Medicine” and “Mother Tongue” show a pop sensibility that we have only seen glimpses of so far, and I hope we shall see more of in the future.
It is always nice to see when a band grows up with you. It almost feels like Bring Me the Horizon is a living being. From their start as a deathcore band to their maturity to a pop rock hit maker has been a blast to watch. Even though they have transitioned into a more mature pop focused outfit they still haven’t lost the bite that made Oli and Co. such a force all these years. With songs like ‘Sugar Honey Ice and Tea” and “Heavy Metal” the band remind you that this is their work and they are going to keep on keeping on. The album closes with “I Don’t Know What To Say,” which is the perfect end cap and one of the best tracks the band has ever released.
The bravery and variety in amo gives me faith in this band and the steadfast belief that they will continue to mature like a fine wine. With a Grammy nomination now under their belt I don’t see Bring Me the Horizon stopping any time soon. This record is a must have for any long time fans of the band and also for those who have just discovered them. If I were a betting man I would put this as my album of the year. And I for one, don’t apologize if you feel something.
BMTH has 13 more North America ғιrѕт love world тoυr dates before heading to Australia in April to wrap up the current run. Check their site for tickets!
WATCH the Official Video for "medicine" below.
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