Album Rating: 3.0

I really wanted to love this album

Album Rating: 3.0

Can't love it or hate it.

Album Rating: 3.0

The worst(or like the most average and boring) is easily Blasphemy tbh

Album Rating: 3.0

I actually like Blasphemy lol

Album Rating: 1.5

is Benecidal still soaking in this?

Album Rating: 3.5

always soak albums for their soakability

Album Rating: 3.0

Assessing "That's the Spirit" from an unbiased perspective, I could easy give this album an 88/100. The album carried both style and substance, though one cannot ignore "Throne" and "Blasphemy" were the token filler tracks from the album. When discussing negatives, "Throne," "Happy Song," and "Blasphemy" carry a heavy amount of reliance to backing vocals. Many perceive this to be due to alleged throat issues on behalf of Oli Sykes, and depending on whether or not those allegations are true, I feel they could have gone about giving Oli a vocal rest in a different way. However, combining the technique he uses to scream during his heavier tracks (i.e. "Shadow Moses" and "It Never Ends") fans cannot judge him for wanting to incorporate lighter tracks into their setlist. It's no secret metalcore is a demanding genre as a vocalist.



As far as positives go, the album has a very unique style about it. I believe Bring Me the Horizon nailed "That's the Spirit" in terms of lyrics, marketing, and music. They put their own spin on the alternative rock spectrum by incorporating influences from their previous ventures. "Doomed," "Avalanche," "What You Need," "Follow You," and "Oh No" embodied the diverse aspects of the album. "That's the Spirit" had great lyrics exampled in the likes of "Doomed" and "Avalanche" accompanied by experimental songs in the likes of "What You Need," "Follow You," "True Friends," and "Oh No." The alternative rock scene is going through a shift at the moment, so I can't blame BMTH for wanting to get in on some of the action.



In general, "That's the Spirit" may have been overwhelmingly different from anything they've done before, but I don't see it as a negative. I thought it was way better than pop oriented albums released by Shinedown and Linkin Park and still stuck true to what the band has been about in the past.

Album Rating: 1.5

"It's no secret metalcore is a demanding genre as a vocalist"



It all comes down to how you use your voice in the genre. Some dudes like John from Darkest Hour can still belt out some nasty screams after 20 years of doing it (imo he sounds better now than he ever has), and then you have dudes like Adrian from Northlane who tear their vocal folds and can't do it anymore without it hurting. In my experience, as long as you push out the scream from your diaphragm and chest then it doesn't hurt and you can do it for a longer amount of time. But when you use your throat for most of it you end up shredding your throat, which is what I assume Oli did because he is a shell of his former self

Album Rating: 3.2

Aye, he tore it apart in the CYB era.

Good album this is

Album Rating: 3.2

Yeah, a real classic.

Album Rating: 3.0

"It all comes down to how you use your voice in the genre." - StreakByrnes



You are correct especially in your description of how to properly scream. Oli Sykes, from the general sound of "There is a Hell..." and "Sempiternal," tends to scream only from his throat area, but when it comes to the big "drop" so-to-speak, he screams from his stomach area. A lot of metalcore musicians make this mistake especially when they first debut. However, when looking at influential metalcore acts like Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive, they don't scream the entire time on every song. Knowing when and when not to scream is vital in the metalcore genre. Oli Sykes obviously made this mistake judging by how raspy his voice has become in the short span between "Sempiternal" and "That's the Spirit."

However, I don't find it fair to say he has become a 'shell of his former self.' Just because he released an alternative album doesn't qualify him as a sell-out. Sure, alternative rock is the more marketable approach, but it also depends on how you perform alternative. Bring Me the Horizon didn't use the traditional modern alternative formula and experimented a lot. Not to mention the lyrics weren't bad either. Yet, it depends on what fans are looking for from BMTH. Metalcore has become quite saturated and I fully agree BMTH picked the right time to step away from the genre so new life could grow.

Album Rating: 1.5

Oh don't get me wrong, I didn't mean that he was a shell of his former self in that regard, just that he can't scream as well as he used to, that's all. I honestly liked Sempiternal, but this was a huge step back imo, and nobody except for Fish is playing to their full potential. It just seems like a waste of their talents, I wish they continued with the There Is A Hell sound because that album is an easy 5 for me

Album Rating: 3.0

I can't say no one was playing to their full potential due to the style of music being different from their previous efforts. Alternative doesn't require as much as metalcore, so comparing the two in that way simply doesn't do anyone justice. However, I can admit they dialed back on a lot of aesthetics. The riffs are played a lot slower and the vocals are more melodic. The styles exampled in "There Is a Hell..." and "Sempiternal" were suitable for BMTH in terms of creativity and diversity, but the goal for this album was to near away from the metalcore sub-genre as a whole. Again, I cannot blame them for it. The genre is overcrowded and needs room to breathe. Whether or not people perceive "That's the Spirit" to be good is one thing, but most people are disregarding the album solely because it is not heavy.

Album Rating: 3.2

"I wish they continued with the There Is A Hell sound because that album is an easy 5 for me"



If only....

Album Rating: 4.0

gonzo you need to let it go

Album Rating: 3.2

I can't. I just can't.

Album Rating: 3.2

Be interesting to know where they take their sound next though.

Album Rating: 1.5

Grindcore/crust

Album Rating: 4.0

Maybe even more electronic? I can see them doing a shitty Pvris record next