“Sempiternal” is one of those albums that never ages, filled with only good songs that remind us of simpler days. Days when our only concern was whether BMTH would announce dates in Mexico so we could go scream the songs we had just learned at the now-extinct José Cuervo Salón in Mexico City.
This week, we’ve been listening to a lot of Metalcore, and we also reviewed the incredible “They’re Only Chasing Safety” by Underoath (2004).
Today, we’re talking about “Sempiternal” (2013), the fourth album by the English band Bring Me The Horizon, which has now been out for 10 years.
Let’s say it outright and without fear: “Sempiternal” is the best album by BMTH. It might not be everyone’s favorite, and most will argue for “That’s The Spirit”, or perhaps the more purist fans may lean towards “Count Your Blessings”. However, “Sempiternal” is an album that marked a before and after for the post-hardcore emo scene of its time. It’s an album that, even though we didn’t know it at the time, was already signaling the future of the band, foreshadowing the arrival of super commercial hits like “Drown” or “Follow You”. It hinted that something was about to change forever.
Bring Me The Horizon is a band that is always evolving, bringing something new and different with each album. When “There Is A Hell Believe Me…” (2010) was released, many thought there was no more to give, that it was the pinnacle of the band’s creativity. It’s an impressive album that blends the strange and commercial deathcore of “Suicide Season” with keyboards, pads, choirs, and more elements that we don’t quite understand how they work so well together. However, “Sempiternal” came along to tell us otherwise, that Oliver Sykes and company still had much to offer, showcasing an innovative BMTH unafraid to experiment and brimming with creativity.
A significant portion of the sound and innovation on this album is credited to keyboardist Jordan Fish, who joined the band as a temporary member in 2012 but became an official member in 2013, just in time to contribute to the composition and recording of this album.
Can You Feel My Heart
Getting into the details, the album opens with “Can You Feel My Heart”, which is one of those rare cases where a song from many years ago becomes suddenly famous for no apparent reason, thanks to TikTok. Recently, it gained popularity as users on the short-video platform started using it for various trends, making it the most listened to song by the band on Spotify, things that happen.
However, “Can You Feel My Heart” is more than just a viral song of the moment. It serves as the perfect gateway to the album because it introduces us, from the very first second, to what BMTH will be from now on, synthesizers, vocals modified by the computer, the old BMTH combined with electronics, and Oliver Sykes singing? One of the novelties of this album was that Oliver started using his clean vocals more, blending them with the gutturals. While we heard a bit of this in the previous album, here he uses it as a frequent and effective resource that sounds great.
One of our favorite songs is “The House of Wolves”, which may seem heavier than the previous one, but again, we start to notice that this album has something very special. Each song has a very catchy chorus, addictive melodies that you surely won’t stop singing in your head for a while, like the unforgettable “Brick by Brick by Brick”.
Sleepwalking y Shadow Moses
Let’s talk about the two most significant songs on this album. One of them is the legendary “Sleepwalking”, which was the band’s most-played song for a long time. It introduced us to this more commercial side of BMTH, which, without completely abandoning its heavy and hardcore sound, started leaning towards a more digestible nu-metal, naming Slipknot, Deftones, and Korn as the main influences for creating this album. With a super catchy and easy-to-remember chorus that had everyone singing it over and over again in those years, “Sleepwalking” became a true anthem.
On the other hand, “Shadow Moses” was the first song we could hear from this album as the band had been performing it live for some time before the album’s release.
And it’s great that they did it that way because this song perfectly encapsulates Sempiternal, not only because it literally mentions the title in the lyrics, but also because this song has all the elements that make up the album’s sound.
And The Snakes Start To Sing
“And the Snakes Start to Sing” was the song that impressed us the most at that time, as it unleashes the full instrumental, vocal, and lyrical potential of the band.
This is a peculiar song, especially for the time it was released when we were very accustomed to hearing Oli scream, and we expected a heavier sound from the band. It’s a kind of core ballad? This album is very challenging to describe with words, so we recommend you listen to it on your own and experience it.
Hospital For Souls and the "Expanded Edition"
Officially, the album closes with “Hospital for Souls,” a song that serves well as a conclusion with its melancholic and depressive sound, inviting us to finish the album.
However, shortly after, the deluxe edition of the album or “Expanded Edition” was released, which included two very good songs, “Join the Club” and “Deathbeds”. In my opinion, this is the real ending of the album, with a heart-wrenching lyrics and Oliver’s voice conveying a lot of pain and melancholy that will stay with you for a long time.
BMTH today...
Bring Me The Horizon is one of the few bands from their era that has managed to stay relevant to this day. They continue to release incredible songs, dominate all their performances, and seem to never go out of style. They have collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Lil Uzi Vert, Machine Gun Kelly, and YUNGBLUD. They even contributed to the soundtrack of the latest video game created by the legendary Japanese developer Hideo Kojima, “Death Stranding”.
Tell us what your favorite BMTH album is, and if it’s Sempiternal, comment on your favorite song. Our recommendations are The House Of Wolves, Empire (Let Them Sing), and Deathbeds.
