The justifications needed to call a record perfect is hefty, but if I had to give any record in my listening history the glory of achieving perfection, POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR has my vote in a heartbeat. Bring Me The Horizon's extensive fifteen years of music has culminated in this masterpiece of a record (which although was initially said to be an EP, I will call an album because it honestly is), with elements and sounds from every era of their discography all sonically designed with the most utmost of excellence. (Yes, I'm being very dramatic because this is one of the best records ever.)
Bring Me The Horizon has always been ahead of the game, not always trendsetters but always able to set themselves apart from the rest. The heaviness from Suicide Season lives on in Dear Diary, the fierce and fast-paced cyber-metal sound of Itch From The Cure (When Will We Be Free?) and Kingslayer has their roots in the bands' explorations in electronics from amo and Music to listen to. Every song on this record has such a unique styling to it, and the humble nine-track album can manage to pack such a big punch in a small timeframe of half an hour.
There's so much innovation in this record that leaves little to be desired. Their musicianship has always been top tier, even as they traverse different genres, like the nu-metal banger Teardrops or the sombre and ominous ballad One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death. The record is full of amazing soundscapes, impressively intricate sound designs that are an absolute pleasure to listen to.
The guest features on this album are also just about perfect. Nearly half the songs on this record have guest features (exactly half if you count Itch For The Cure and Kingslayer as two parts of the same song), and they've all brought such unique and needed flavours to the tracks they star on. YUNGBLUD's new blood sound and impressively emotional vocals brings the much fitting cynicism to Obey, Mick Gordon helps amplify the cyber-sound of Kingslayer while BABYMETAL's ethereal vocals give a blissful contrast to Oli's absolutely demonic growls. The Nova Twins' powerful vocals adds that touch of despair to the despondent and personal 1x1, and Amy Lee's iconic voice is undoubtedly the perfect fit for the closing song, no questions asked.
I love how they've transcended past the boundaries of conventional rock and metal, comfortably blending electronic elements with the instruments they so masterfully play. Their sound continues to outshine the entire musical scene as they consistently outdo themselves with every release, while making it so purposeful and relevant to the state of the world that they live in. POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR really embodied the "survival horror" aspect of 2020 and the world we live in now, and was as cathartic as it was impressive.
There's really nothing not to love about this record. Artisans at the top of their game, making music because they love to make music, and not for any other reason, it's where you find the best music in the world. This record is my favourite in many ways, for many reasons, and it's not entirely accurate to give it 10/10 because it definitely would outclass many of the records with that rating, but for the sake of not being illogical and giving it 11/10, I'll have to stick with a 10/10 for this one (but know that in my heart it's an 11/10).
Rating: 10/10