Over the last 20 years, Bring Me The Horizon’s mantra has been that of innovation. From their grotty deathcore beginnings to the eclectic pop-rock blaze of 2019’s Amo, the Sheffield powerforce have transformed time and time again – and it seems like the constant evolution may have finally caught up with them. POST HUMAN: NeX Gen is an identity crisis in sonic form, desperately searching for meaning behind a manic frazzle of glitching distortion. It’s a record that sees vocalist Oli Sykes wearing his heart on his sleeve, seeking the comfort of sensory overload to detract from his vulnerabilities.
Throughout, POST HUMAN: NeX Gen does absolutely everything it can to piss off metalcore purists. True to its name, NeX Gen is carving out a bold new era of heavy – even if that means putting a band like Underoath on glitchcore track a bulleT w- my namE On, or delivering guttural metal howls alongside sugary choruses on Kool Aid. At every turn, Bring Me The Horizon don’t care about the pre-existing expectations of metal – if anything, the guidelines are there to be ridiculed. This defiant approach leads to tracks like AmEN! pairing Glassjaw’s raw post-hardcore grit with Lil Uzi Vert’s emo trap flow, all while a triumphant, call-to-arms chorus rounds things off.
