Sempiternal section

Extract from a review of Sempiternal

For a quiet town tucked away up north, Sheffield has caused an unearthly racket in the music scene, churning out icon after icon from its steel mills and coal pits. And the latest release from Sheffield Alumni Bring Me the Horizon does everything in its power to let the whole world know just who this band is, and what they are capable of. The album kicks off with a confession from Sykes et al. “Can You Feel My Heart” acts as a brutal and unadulterated admittance of suffering. Sykes’s pain drenched vocals clawing at your ears, practically begging you to listen and to understand, as electronic siren-like warbles punctuate the track and the crashing drums from Nicholls charge the track full of drama and angst. Following with the idea of the song being a heartfelt confession, a moment of clarity arises amongst the chaotic cacophony with Sykes softly stating “I can’t drown my demons they know how to swim”. A fantastically poignant line, which really captures that sensation of being unable to get better alone, so when they ask you “Can you feel my heart” it becomes obvious, they aren’t infact asking, but pleading.

We then go roaring into the pugilistic battering of “The House Of Wolves” an adrenaline charged track which casts off the previous songs desperation for connection and replaces it with a relentless tirade of wild shouts of independence. The band has never shied away from religious controversy, and this record keeps up that trend, there are obvious references to Christianity coded within the aggressive onslaught of crazed drum rolls, guitar screams and shrieking vocals. The song itself acts as perhaps the real kick-start to the album, ramping up the tempo, and setting the scene for the next song to make its dramatic debut. “Empire (Let Them Sing)” Continuing the rampage, the song seemingly spits on all the doubters and non-believers in the band, in another independence centered rant, the band also acknowledges the end will come, in what is a uniquely honest view following the all-consuming monstrosity of the previous track, featuring the same savage musicality as the previous track, the song also features the united choir-like warble of many voices, adding a real sense of atmosphere and power to the song, making it in my opinion of the stand outs on the album.

Following on from these two ultraviolent musical concoctions, we reach the more languid opening chords of “Sleepwalking”. A track which begins as a far more docile creation than the previous three, with melodic strings bringing in a euphoric guitar cavalry charge, before Sykes begins his vocal onslaught. Similar to “Can you feel my heart” the song seems to reflect a more honest and vulnerable side to the rockers, with the softer edge of the song portraying the problems and fears they all face. The use of Sleepwalk imagery could be said to be depicting the feeling of having no control, something which many people can say they’ve had or feared at times. Strategically placed after two incredibly aggressive and chaotic tracks, this distinctly more civilized track reminds us of the Bands humanity, and therefore creates a better connection between listener and artist, therefore I would say it is almost certainly my favourite track on the album.