Over the last 20 years, Bring Me The Horizon have gone from scrappy metal upstarts to becoming one of the biggest and most influential metal bands of the 21st century. A northern behemoth constantly pushing and pulling at new ways to remould their sound, each one of their albums stands out in its own right as a moment in the story of modern heavy music, whether people like it or not.
To narrow down such a vast and fascinating discography is no easy task. Yet as they prepare to headline Download Festival for the very first time, it seems like the perfect time to summarise some of their finest moments to date. Here we go...
Diamonds Aren’t Forever (Suicide Season, 2008)
All these years later and Bring Me's breakthrough full-length Suicide Season is still one of the grittiest pieces of metalcore ever to be conjured by a UK band. Though between all of the crusty breakdowns and guttural barks, Diamonds Aren’t Forever stands proud as the shiniest of the bunch. Showcasing the band at their most sensationally savage and delivering no less than THREE different top-tier mosh calls, it’s a track that will forever be a gateway towards pit-fuelled chaos.
It Never Ends (There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret, 2010)
As an album, There Is A Hell… brought ethereal glimmers of angelic electronics into the fold, adding a new crystalline texture to Bring Me's usual aggressive offerings. It Never Ends was the first taste they provided at the time of release, and still, to this day, it stands up as a heart-stopping epic. From the heavenly choir and mournful strings, beautifully wrapping around you like smoke from a flame, to the savagely tragic tale that the band are delivering at the track's core, it’s the sort of devastating combination that only a band at the height of their creative confidence could deliver.
The House Of Wolves (Sempiternal, 2013)
As much as Sempiternal represented a shift in what to expect from Bring Me, that didn’t mean that they ever left behind any of their sheer brute force. And The House Of Wolves sums that sentiment up the best. A summation of Oli Sykes’ views on organised religion and all that surrounds it, it is as raw and ready as such a stark stance should be. And alongside the utterance of, “And when you die, the only kingdom you’ll see is two foot wide and six foot deep”, that kicks off the absolute battering ram of a breakdown, it’s hard not to enjoy the feeling of your blood running cold as such a sentiment sinks in.
Drown (That’s The Spirit, 2016)
Definitely one of the slower moments in the band’s vast discography but definitely one that would serve as the benchmark for the sound for years to come, Drown represented the moment that BMTH became something much bigger than they could ever have imagined. As wave after wave of beautiful noise hit you square in the chest and Oli questions, "Who will fix me now", it’s hard not to feel a little bit choked up. An extraordinary moment in what has been an extraordinary career.
Kingslayer (POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, 2020)
In terms of the Bring Me The Horizon of today, there could not be a more perfect band for them to team up with than BABYMETAL. Chaotic, unpredictable and utterly undeniable, both parties are full of the same sort of surprises, and this epic piece of modern metalcore perfectly represents that. From the head-mangling keys to the iron-clad riffs through to the triumphant refrains, it’s a masterclass in doing whatever feels right and reaping the rewards. All together now, "DU DUDU DU DU DU DUDU DU"
Can You Feel My Heart (2013)
A song designed to be played alongside the launching of confetti cannons, the opening crescendo of Sempiternal has taken on a whole new life since its release. Going viral on TikTok, used on over half a million videos to date, and receiving remixes from the likes of MOTHICA and Jeris Johnson, and sitting pretty with over 375 million streams on Spotify, a whole new generation of ears are now accustomed with this astonishing slice of euphoria.
A deep dive into the darkest corners of the mind and the soul, and a fight against the demons that are found there, against a backdrop of crushing electronics and post-everything atmospheres, it’s as kaleidoscopic as it is heartbreaking. Modern rock songwriting at its most boundless and beautiful.
Wonderful Life (amo, 2019)
As a record, amo is by far BMTH’s most varied offering, dipping its toes into everything from glowstick rave to arena-ready hard rock. But with Wonderful Life, the band managed to plant their tongue firmly in their cheek and have a bit of fun. Featuring the legendary Dani Filth with a rare guest appearance, letting his iconic tones stretch to new heights, and with a brilliantly downtrodden take on modern living, the band allows themselves the space to smile a bit with this one. And the result is a joyous, jagged and jubilant piece of party-starting brilliance.
Throne (That's The Spirit, 2015)
A song designed to be played at the loudest volume in every rock club from here to infinity, ‘Throne’ is as unstoppable as it gets. If it wasn't for Can You Feel My Heart's virality, it would be the band's biggest song by a country mile, and with good reason. A track that perfectly demonstrates what Jordan Fish brought to the band when he joined in 2013 from his own project Worship, it flitters between pulsating bass, intricate keys and blustery atmospheres like its second nature and gets trapped between your ears like tar. A song that many have tried to better since its release, but none have ever got anywhere near close.
Alligator Blood (There Is A Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret, 2010)
“So put a gun to my head and paint the walls with my fucking brains.” It’s enough to send shivers coursing down your spine, isn't it? One of the most aggressive moments on There Is A Hell..., Alligator Blood feels like trying to smile after receiving a curb stomp. It is slick, seedy and sensationally heavy, unrelenting in all of the right ways and graphic as it comes. By the time that the gang vocal-laced breakdown at the end barrels between your ears, you can feel the taste of copper at the back of your throat. Shouldn’t all music make you feel this viscerally?
Parasite Eve (POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, 2020)
If there was a piece of music that could perfectly represent the shared experience we have all had over the last few years. Though not actually inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, actually drawing its name from a 1998 survival horror game, Bring Me certainly captured the fear, uncertainty and unbridled chaos of that period perfectly during its recording in the middle of lockdown. Fuzzy bass one minute, cataclysmic riffs the next, it's a track with the sharpest of claws that isn't afraid to draw blood and live under your skin. And as the band set out to plot the next step of their POST HUMAN project, it's a song that will remain as relevant and ravenous.
