November 12th, 2008 
James Shotwell Band: Bring Me The Horizon
Album: Suicide Season
Genre: Metal/Brocore
Label: Epitaph [US]
Tracks:
1. The Comedown
2. Chelsea Smile
3. It Was Written In Blood
4. Death Breath
5. Football Season is Over
6. Sleep With One Eye Open
7. Diamonds Aren’t Forever
8. The Sadness Will Never End
9. No Need For Introductions, I’ve Read About Girls Like You On The Back Of Toilet Doors
10. Suicide Season
If anyone here has been paying attention to the metal based reviews I write, it would be apparent that there are two kinds of hardcore I enjoy. The first, as most recently covered is, “Boston Hardcore,” which, as the name hints, is a form of hardcore created by bands from Boston. The other, which we will be addressing right now, is what JP and I refer to as, “Bro-Core.” It’s hardcore that though it may or may not be technical, is jsut fun to listen to. The lyrics are generally preposterous and the breakdowns are memorable and often. Bring Me The Horizon, who hail from the UK, are just one of the bands that fit this genre perfectly [others being Liferuiner, Dr. Acula, old See You Next Tuesday] and their new album Suicide Season is easily their greatest achievement to date. It’s been awhile since Count Your Blessings hit the streets, so I’m sure people are anxious to see if the band still have that power that launched them to underground fame and let me tell you this: Not only do they have that raw power, they’ve taken it to a whole new world.
“Pray For Plagues,” the song that kicked off the band’s previous album was definitely a heavy hitting track and so I had high hopes from the get go with, “The Comeback,” and I was not disappointed one bit. The first noticeable new side to BMTH comes in the form of sheer production value. This album is gorgeous and heavy. Every stomp of the bass pedal and guttural growl rips into your head with brute force and you become a drone for the band. The song itself is actually, to me, one of the weaker tracks, as it really has no memorable parts, but rather just a lot of energy and technical skill to let you know they’ve gone nowhere. If you’re looking for something catchy though, it doesn’t take long to find as, “Chelsea Smile, “Football Season Is Over,” and especially the crown jewel of the disc, “Diamonds Aren’t Forever,” comes packed with lines sure to be shouted from packed clubs and cars for quite some time. “Chelsea,” aside from it’s memorable breakdowns, has some serious discussion on the weight of guilt on the soul. Oli Sykes [vocals] is obviously venting throughout the disc and this is just one of the more obvious examples that I think anyone can relate to.
Some other solid highlights on the disc come from many areas. “Death Breath,” has some more technical work and shows that BMTH is not jsut a cliche metalcore group, but rather solid musicians who opt to have more fun with their music than many in the scene. Lyrically, it all depends on what one considers to be great lyrics. Those of you looking for some deep metaphors and solid word usage may be disappointed, but those wanting something more direct and catchy will wear smiles like shirts for weeks. “Football Season Is Over,” which clocks in right around two solid minutes ends with one of the catchiest lines of 2008: “Party ’til you pass out/drink ’til your dead/dance all night/’til you can’t feel your legs.” The entire song roars like a lion, until this section and simplifies immensely to allow people to join in with gang vocals and throwing down. From the first moment this part played on my first listen I knew it would be stuck in my head for weeks and it was/is. In addition to these facets of the music, anyone seeking just straight up angst and noise need look no further than, “Sleep With One Eye Open,” and, “No Need For Introductions…,” which play like cannons with fists in the air and feet stampeding in all out rage.
The real gem on Suicide Season comes just into the back half of the record. “Diamonds Aren’t Forever,” is an anthem in the making. Each chunk of lyrics [I say chunk as there as no verses per say] is just as memorable as the last. If there was a council on Metalcore or club that everyone belonged to, this would be the call to arms. The structure is simple yet it works so perfectly for the overall feel of the album that you don’t really mind. Also, based on the level of technicality found elsewhere, you know the band did this intentionally for t he sound of the song, eprhaps to make it resonate easier, and it does that ten fold.
However, like any album, there are a few downfalls. The one thing that really left a somewhat disheartened feel in my chest was the supposedly epic close, “Suicide Season.” Where the rest of the album has a pretty average song length throughout, this one clocks in at over 8 minutes and there really seems to be no reason for such an action to occur. Sure, there is a blistering solo, but the song itself feels like the band had a great 4 minute idea and then tried to make it bigger than themselves and it comes out a bit uneven with everything else. Outside of that, a few o the lines can be a little too corny, but then you remember what genre you’re listening to and suddenly it’s all okay.
Whether you’re a true bro-core supporter or a heavy music fan in general, Suicide Season is easily one of the few albms from 2008 you definitely don’t want to miss. Bring Me The Horizon have crafted an album that’s technical, yet simple, deep, yet easily accessible, and completely addicting. It’ll be a few weeks before you see the UTG staff’s year end lists, but I’ll give you a hint right now: This album is in my top 5. No doubt about it, BMTH have solidified themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the metalcore world and are up for any challengers who dare step in their light.
*Written By: James Shotwell*
Grade: 8.5/10
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