Eternal, everlasting, and unchanging swell into
Sempiternal. An album defined as a feat of strength put forth by a band that never should be capable of this. Bring Me the Horizon was a joke. Rejected by the deathcore and mainstream audience, Bring Me the Horizon squandered the bottom of the scene until
There Is a Hell… showed potential. Bring Me the Horizon was just *potential* from that point on. They were a group who got lucky and accidentally released a good album. Fans have seen this before, nevertheless, why should they care?
Sempiternal granted a desperate group something so rare yet so essential – a purpose. Soundscapes, ambience, and energy create the beautiful accident we know as
Sempiternal.
Sempiternal was the major label debut of Bring Me the Horizon. RCA had high hopes for the band and went as far to say, “signing you is as important as signing Metallica.” The statement seems pretentious coming from the label who records Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Foo Fighters. As one would expect, RCA prefers a radio friendly format and suggested Horizon follow the same rout. In usual rebellious style, Bring Me the Horizon was adamant in making one of their heaviest albums yet.
Sempiternal examines intrapersonal struggles such as self-criticism, self-doubt, and self-awareness. Sykes continued to incorporate his personal issues with faith and consequences to fuel the album further.
The music of
Sempiternal doesn’t deviate too far from
There Is a Hell… Horizon’s typical electronic undertone makes a comeback to provide a familiar sound for Horizon fans. ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ opens the album by giving a sample of
Sempiternal’s core sound. A lighter pop sound meshed with blaring guitars, emotional choruses, and contrasting lyrics shred through the airwaves when the song hits the speakers. ‘Antivist’ and ‘The House of Wolves’ are the abrasive side to this record. Both produce a heavier riff-driven style to balance out the lighter elements. Beefy detuned strokes of the guitar with bends and dips during the breakdown are foolproof to appease heavier fans.
That being said,
Sempiternal is arguably heavier than its predecessor. Although the atmosphere is unassuming,
Sempiternal goes full force throughout the record. ‘Shadow Moses’ combines the electronic ambiance BMTH fans come to love with the gut-punching riffs Lee Malia brings to the table. Lyrically, the album is a step above
There Is a Hell… in many ways. Sykes brings his all when it comes to writing intellectual and captivating narratives. “I’m scared to get close. I hate being alone. I long for the feeling to not feel at all. The higher I get, the lower I sink; I can’t drown my demons they know how to swim,” shatters the soul of those who listen to ‘Can You Feel My Heart.
“I’m at the edge of the world. Where do I go from here, do I disappear,” breaks through ‘Sleepwalking,’ one of the albums overlooked tracks. “Don’t say I’m better off dead ‘cause Heaven is full and Hell won’t have me,” continue the array of contrasting lyrics. The lyrics of
Sempiternal paint this bleak canvas of isolated deliriousness. An internal war wages between the subject and their surroundings, and the only true winner is the one you feed. Wolves claw at the gates, shadows sing, and snakes start to sing all in the span of about 44 minutes.
Each track featured on
Sempiternal stands out in its own right. All are individually, invigorating, and enthralling to listen to. There’s enough variety to showcase the groups experimentation with lighter and darker tones. The deluxe edition of
Sempiternal displays 3 extra tracks ‘Join the Club,’ ‘Chasing Rainbows,’ and ‘Deathbeds.’ These tracks aren’t integral to the overall experience, but aren’t bad inclusions. One can easily see why they were left off the original release, but are interesting in style and substance. ‘Deathbeds’ has this ominous and chilling vibe that I’d love to see Horizon revisit in a future release. Considering the bonus songs, I can still say
Sempiternal drives straight into the sunset with no breaks or bumps along the way.
What makes
Sempiternal such an important album is the showcase of metalcore’s capability. Many were assuming metalcore was deadbeat and bland until
Sempiternal granted new life. Parkway Drive, Killswitch Engage, and All That Remains stepped out of the way in spots left unfilled. Bring Me the Horizon earns their spot as metalcore masters with the material presented in
Sempiternal. For a brief moment, metalcore seemed alive again after being saturated and choked by countless knock-off and spin-off bands banking on being underground. Horizon brought individuality, creativity, and complexity to the genre for the first time in years.
Sempiternal proves hope is an addicting substance. After
Sempiternal, listeners were left hung-over with a feeling one would never experience again. In today’s metalcore climate, I would be surprised if we ever will. Eternally complicated, everlastingly individual, and unchangingly exquisite,
Sempiternal asserts itself as an album that
needed to happen. I wish I could say the same about its sequel.
Standout Tracks
Empire (Let Them Sing)
Can You Feel My Heart
And the Snakes Start to Sing
Sleepwalking
Deathbeds (Deluxe Edition)
Should probably bump it down tbh. 
