Review Summary: In a world where music is more opinionated than politics, one band releases an album that does absolutely nothing to transcend the beliefs of fans and those who were expecting nothing more.
Sempiternal, an album doubtless to receive the praise from loyal devotees, mixing the praise with numerous accounts of evolution backed up only by the fact that Bring Me The Horizon have done nothing to answer their critics. It’s 2013, and Bring Me The Horizon have released yet another album that drips in a viability known only to the band’s long-time fans. Not only does
Sempiternal miss the point completely but, for this (at this point) infamous metalcore act, it also doesn’t improve on what the band has to offer, on almost all facets, across the board. Let’s push aside the loving fan base, dispose of the wagon full of despising haters and buckle down to business. Bring Me The Horizon have neither regressed into a low point, nor have they built any steam, improving on what they have already displayed. It seems this British five-piece are defining ‘steadily disappointing’ and walking around the revolving door of monotony. To sum the record up as a whole, the terms; generic and uninspiring come to mind but there’s something about the resilient nature of the band that empowers the fan-base and inspires, especially considering the fact that Bring Me The Horizon are willing to gate crash the party over and over again, only to be shot down and thrown out. However, there is some credit to be given to a group that will pick themselves up, dust themselves off and release more mediocre material. Bring Me The Horizon’s 2013 release is as consistent as the band’s previous records.
Despite the countless back and forth between the divided opinions on the band, Bring Me The Horizon have brought a couple of
‘new’ features to their fourth studio full-length. Dabbling in electronica,
Sempiternal lacks a cohesive design to bring both components together. More often than not, the two sections conflict and then collapse entirely under the weight of this added element. The intentions were obviously meant to be for good, but a poor execution presents a confused and tiresome listen, tied together with some highly forgettable hooks and instrumentation. Jordan Fish (of Worship fame), who added the keyboard/electronica sections for
Sempiternal, collaborated largely with Bring Me The Horizon and talks are circling about his involvement in the band as a sixth full-time member. For those who like medieval torture, compare this record to the famed iron maiden, only the spikes have been removed replaced with rusty barbed wire; the imagery is simple to comprehend, it’s not going to get the job done as quick, and the listener is only going to be locked in a box to die from dehydration and malnutrition rather than the more effective method of blood loss from grievous wounds.
Sempiternal, is a forty-five and a half minute of torture that, despite having a reasonable quality in the shape of opener ‘Can You Feel My Heart’, only loses steam fast as the record progresses.
The first half of the record, presents itself easily as the strongest material to be recorded on
Sempiternal, it’s also shows the inclusion of Fish’s electronic work at its freshest point. Although at times, this aspect alone could be considered one of the records’ most damaging features, the added keyboard section shows a willingness to explore, adding to the album’s overall soundscape. Tracks like ‘House Of Wolves’ which combines up-tempo passages with glorified keyboard lead sections actually manage to reinforce the potential this specific combination could have. Make no mistake; there is something this time around that has seen Bring Me The Horizon develop. Unfortunately,
Sempiternal is confused, floundering its way through the album’s overall run-time. Fans will undoubtedly see this change as the next coming of Christ but for what it’s worth, Bring Me The Horizon need to re-think the inclusion of the sounds they are not familiar with, before shaping them into something that could, in turn be great. Even the lyrical phrasing and context behind the word sheets leave little to the imagination. It’s simple, immature and unfortunately for the likes of Bring Me The Horizon – it doesn’t work. Breakdowns come and go throughout the album’s entity not really adding anything of substance to this already poor release, finishing before the listener can build up a decent head banging groove. The quasi riff sections often come and go making little to no impact, rather stale as a background noise. Sceptics are sure to jump on every single opportunity to discredit a group that keeps coming back, with or without examples to make a valid argument, but Bring Me The Horizon show in 2013, that they don’t necessarily need to listen to the labels (whom wanted the band to release an album “as heavy as they could”) to keep the fans happy (and maybe attract a new croud), especially considering that most fans will be happy with whatever tasteless dribble is supposedly forced down their young throats.
