Lyric Of The Week 74: Take Her to the Moon

"But can you really get lost in Heaven?"

Waterparks - Take Her to the Moon, from the album Double Dare

EP: Better Lovers - God Made Me An Animal [2023]

Better Lovers dropped their debut EP out of nowhere three months after their debut single, and I waa definitely surprised and excited to dig into it. With only three new songs to offer, I was wondering how strong of a first impression this might be, and let me tell you, it really is one of the strongest debuts I've heard. Absolutely nailing their sound from the get-go, albeit a blend of former bands, is not an easy feat.

Sacrificial Participant is the first in line, immediately blasting off with Greg's recognizable scream voice and Every Time I Die's instrumental chaos. First verse has some fun elements, like the constant eighths riffage at the start or the really satisfying sing-scream to full scream transitions. The chorus took me a bit by surprise because I wasn't thinking they'd do clean singing so quickly, but it's a great chorus and the lead line behind it is beautiful. The second verse has some awesome up-and-down riffs with time signature switchups that's super reminiscent of both Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan's mathcore style, but what's most unexpected is the little clean soft section right before the second chorus, super tight yet super elegant and feels very different yet fitting for them.

30 Under 13 I already talked about plenty in its own post, but it's worth mentioning that since then, I've learned the song on guitar and listened to it plenty more, and I've come to appreciate in greater detail exactly how impressive the technicality and groove is, how seamless the transitions are and how cohesive everything feels despite its intrinsic chaos. Of the four tracks on the EP, they definitely made the right choice releasing this one first.

Become So Small is relentlessly chaotic and possibly the heaviest on the EP, never once giving the listener a break. The intro is brutally breathless and astonishingly groovy, and the repetitive "become so small" over a wonky riff is a super fun touch. The bass tone and riff, especially in that short guitarless section, is super gnarly too. The song continues to be ruthless throughout and only gets harder when the breakdown comes around. The riff is unbelievably tasteful with the subtle dissonance and perfect phrasing, dropping it out for just the chugs is top tier, and the surprise round at the end with the feedback and slow-down is monstrous.

The title track is the most varied of the four tracks, losing a little musical cohesiveness for its lyrical relevance. The southern influence is evident, especially with moments like the opening riff, but the real highlight of this song is its anthemic quality. The chorus is tasteful with its call-and-response of singing and screaming, but it's the final section of the song that takes the cake. It's the colourful lead riff against a soft drum pattern while Greg lays down some heavenlt clean singing, before going into this super high energy arena-rock-esque anthem moment with gritty vocals that just fucking hits. They close out with the chorus again, and a sneaky punch of the same refrain from the beginning.

Better Lovers have proven themselves to be more than just a unsubstantiated consequence of bands colliding. The five of them have come together to make music with a strong direction, and it's evident through this EP. With the instrumental members of Every Time I Die continuing to evolve their sound past their band's end, and having Greg and Will to mix things up, they'll be nothing short of innovative in time to come. This EP is stellar short of one small but significant gripe, which is the truly life-changing kind of lyricism Keith had that Greg has yet to match at all, it's the one gap they haven't been able to fill. Everything else is amazing, and without a doubt a standout of the year.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Sacrificial Participant

2. 30 Under 13

3. Become So Small

4. God Made Me an Animal

Song: A Day To Remember - Miracle [2022]

The metalcore community seemed so disappointed about You're Welcome, but I honestly thought it was pretty decent. Regardless, when A Day To Remember dropped Miracle out of nowhere, it was a fresh release that rejuvenated their heaviness, whether or not you disliked You're Welcome's softer sound. For some, it felt like a return to form, and I think it's pretty damn solid.

They've been slowly evolving from their easycore sound of the late 2000s to a more modern metalcore sound, incorporating a few elements of today like electronics, production techniques and better breakdowns. Although You're Welcome saw them take a hard left into country rock, there were pieces of this evolution present in tracks like Resentment and Last Chance To Dance (Bad Friend), pieces that have lead to Miracle.

Bringing the track in with a synth and chugs, they quickly transition into the classic modern metal lowkey-verse-highkey-chorus trope, but it works wonders. Their catchy hooks continue to excel, and the energy in the chorus alone is astounding. And to top it all off, Jeremy screaming at the end of the chorus is immaculate. Their songwriting has always been stellar but it seems they've hit the nail on the head with this one.

I love a good breakdown, and they gave us a double stacked one. Bold callout, low-tuned riffage, and an absolute sucker punch of a double down with those triplets, totalling forty whole seconds of breakdown goodness. Rarely does modern metalcore see such a long breakdown, they sure did spoil us with this one.

Miracle was a great return for A Day To Remember, and I'm excited for a new album to come soon. And as much as I appreciated You're Welcome for what it is, I sure wouldn't mind them getting back to being heavy.

Rating: 3/5

Album: A Day To Remember - Homesick [2009]

A Day To Remember remains as one of the most influential and recognized easycore bands out there, notable for their unmistakable blend of pop punk and metalcore energies. Homesick was and still is one of their best albums to date, home to some of their best tracks and a testament to one of their strongest times as a band.

Homesick sees their iconic blend of catchy choruses and heavy riffing with the highest ratio of hits to misses of any album they've released. Just about every track on the list has something great to offer, and a good handful of them are brilliant gems of the entire early 2000s metalcore era.

Part of doing a heavier pop punk is having a good pop punk foundation to begin with, and Homesick is chock full of that genuine pop punk essence. Amidst the fast-paced drumming, bonanza of power chords and happy-sounding melodies is an unfiltered punk energy manifesting itself within the lyrics and the meaning. Boasting a respectable selection of great verses and choruses that anyone would have trouble trying not to sing along to, it's clear that half of Homesick's appeal is simply how much of an earworm it is, one that is happily welcomed by the scene.

The heavy side of A Day To Remember is a force to be reckoned with, and although I can't say that they were at the top of their game with it on every song, it is still a heavily commendable blend that is hard to pull off. With a focus on simplicity, a lot of their heavy moments boil down to literal zeroes on the chugs and uncomplicated drum patterns. Despite that, they've managed to make some of their breakdowns and heavy riffs extremely iconic, whether it's the main chug riff of The Downfall Of Us All or the meme'd-to-hell breakdown of Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End. Jeremy also has always boasted a super robust scream tone that constantly sets him apart from other vocalists, one that he knows how to use like a monster. Many callouts of his remain iconic, and his scream verses are always a highlight.

A standout of the album that differs a lot from the rest of the record is the closing track. If It Means A Lot To You has become their most streamed track on Spotify by a large margin, and I think the song represented both what the band and album were capable of. A Day To Remember absolutely nailed it on this ballad, concocting their own unique take on the acoustic dual vocal ballad that ramps up to the full band near the end, with plenty of emotions to boot. I think this song was the culmination of both the album as a pivotal moment in the band's career and the band's growth in developing their sound.

Homesick remains a highlight of the band's discography and of early 2010s metalcore, simply because it cannot be denied that A Day To Remember is a band capable of writing great songs without having to get technical. It doesn't take much to fall in love with their sound, especially from this era of their music, and I definitely enjoyed this record thoroughly.

Rating: 8/10

Tracklist:

1. The Downfall Of Us All

2. My Life For Hire

3. I'm Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? (feat. Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada)

4. NJ Legion Iced Tea

5. Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End

6. Have Faith In Me

7. Welcome To The Family (feat. Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain)

8. Homesick

9. Holdin' It Down For The Underground

10. You Already Know What You Are

11. Another Song About The Weekend

12. If It Means A Lot To You (feat. Sierra Kusterbeck of VersaEmerge)

Lyric Of The Week 73: Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

"You're the broken glass in the morning light, be a burning star if it takes all night."

My Chemical Romance - Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back, from the album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Single: Silent Planet - :Signal: [2022]

I remember this single not really catching my attention when it first dropped. I hadn't yet grown to love their newest record, Iridescent, but after that happened, I did revisit this single and it did in fact sound a lot cooler than I remembered. I guess that once the Silent Planet sound clicked for me, it clicked for everything.

Between the great blend of sharp metalcore and great cyberlike atmosphere, it feels like they've already started on a path towards new sound, incorporating more electronics than they had before. The airy synths remind me a bit of Loathe, especially of their atmospheric work on I Let It In And It Took Everything or the entire The Things They Believe ambient record. The riffwork on this song is mostly simple yet very tasteful, whether it's the chug patterns, the slightly dissonant verse riff, the sync-ups with the vocals in the middle, or just the general modern metalcore finesse of it all. And if I haven't commended it enough, the electronic work and production on this song is stellar. The fast climbing arppeggio synths behind the first intermission is a fantastic piece of the soundscape, and so is the highly distorted vocals that play back-and-forth with the chug riff.

The breakdown is nothing too crazy or spectacular, but it definitely has that signature Silent Planet touch to it, and the second half with the spoken-word-esque line is interesting at the very least. I adore the quick cadence of the word "broken" as well, it's very satisfying to hear for some reason.

This song has all the makings of a great Silent Planet song, and even though it might not be a top 5 kind of track, it definitely deserves to be listened to. Their cynically poetic lyricism remains on point, their metalcore writing continues to be innovative and their understanding of musical intent has yet to falter. It's been long enough since the previous album, and I'm very excited for the next era of their music, especially since they've announced a new single and it looks like we're on track for a new album cycle to begin soon.

Rating: 4/5

Album: Trophy Eyes - Suicide and Sunshine [2023]

Ever since their 2020 single Figure Eight caught my eye, I've been lowkey curious about their music, so when Trophy Eyes started a new album cycle for Suicide and Sunshine, I diligently followed it all the way through. At the start, it just seemed decent, but I cannot explain to you how much the singles grew on me over time, and by the time the album dropped, I might as well have been in love with it.

I think the reason I've been loving their releases is because they've genuinely dialled into their self-described "sad songs disguised as happy songs" sound. There's an emotionally complex overtone of this contrasting juxtaposition that can only be human, one that most of this record embodies in full force.

I think the singles are in fact some of the best tracks on the record, despite how long it took to grow on me. Part of the reason is how easy it is to mistake them for just another generic pop punk song, but once you dive deeper into the intricacies of their sound design, as well as the lyricism and meaning of the record, it will quickly become more than just a song. Of course, credit to the catchiness, whether it's the piercing and bright main synth melody and of Blue Eyed Boy, the simple yet absolutely captivating vocal melodies of What Hurts the Most, the tasteful bassline and vocal deliveries of Kill, or the soft ambience and gorgeous sound design of Life in Slow Motion. Each single slowly but surely got my attention and rethink Figure Eight as simply being a fluke.

Of course, that did leave me with a sizeable amount of anticipation for the actual record release, and I have to admit not every song hit the way I wish it could've, but it cannot be denied that some of the non-singles are either on par or better. The chaotic and punkier tracks like People Like You and OMW are more fun for sure, but feel a lot less unique to their sound, although the ragers are always welcome. The few less notable cuts that never managed to latch onto my subconscious still have merits but I can't say with honesty that I care any much for them (sorry My Inheritance and Sweet Soft Sound). Sean is a track I pardon from much criticism on the listening experience because it is meant to be a lot more than that in sentiment, and I absolutely respect the intent and execution behind the track. Between the pained screams and slow recountings of his friend's suicide over soft, sombre instrumentals, it's nothing short of emotional and heartbreaking.

And for the bangers, I think it boils down to great melodies and moments. Runaway, Come Home's chorus has some subtle but awesome vocoder harmonies before exploding into a loud soundscape of bliss, chock full of stellar production work. Stay Here's chorus has this overwhelmingly colourful synth serrating the background of the bold and punchy soundscape, grit in the vocals like a cherry on top. Epilogue being a brilliant closer for the record, boasts a memorable riff, undeniably addicting chorus to sing and a surprisingly wholesome message to boot.

Suicide and Sunshine sees Trophy Eyes at their all-time best, fully in tune with the kind of music, message and emotion they wanted to convey since the start. Refined by the tough times and the brink of extinction, they've found renewed purpose and intent through it all and created the best record they could've made. A standout of the year, for sure.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Sydney

2. Life in Slow Motion

3. People Like You

4. My Inheritance

5. Blue Eyed Boy

6. Runaway, Come Home

7. Burden

8. Sean

9. What Hurts The Most

10. OMW

11. Kill

12. Sweet Soft Sound

13. Stay Here

14. Epilogue

Lyric Of The Week 72: Masterpiece

"So how do I apologize and put the tears back in your eyes?"

Motionless In White - Masterpiece, from the album Scoring The End Of The World

Song: CORPSE, Bring Me The Horizon - CODE MISTAKE [2023]

CORPSE?? And Bring Me The Horizon?!?! This has solidly taken the title of most unexpected collaboration of the year, and was such a sucker punch gladly taken. CORPSE has been part of the emo trap scene for the most part, but it was no surprise that he could easily take on a punkier sound. What I didn't expect was a bold and brutal modern metal track with the best modern metal band by his side, and boy, does it deliver.

The synth melody at the start threw me off a bit, because it sounds a bit like a Zelda theme song or something, but I didn't get distracted for long when CORPSE comes in with his signature vocals and heavy bass instrumentals. When the screams came in without warning, and when I realised it wasn't Oli, I cannot tell you how shocked I was. CORPSE already had one of the most unique vocal textures on the planet, and now he just casually has the most robust scream to boot. I love the rock elements complementing his rage, and I love the repetition of the phrase "I will never be them", it's a simple but effective line.

Oli trying out CORPSE's raspy voice was fun to hear, and while he obviously can't top the man himself, he honestly kills it without a doubt. We get a few screams from him, and then there's this really cool rap-scream section with both of them, producing a really cool vocal texture that is barely recognizable from their own individual screams. I love the variation in the second chorus where CORPSE doubles up the refrain both with screams and his deep rasp, it just hits different. Oli also takes the opportunity to throw in a rugged screech in the post-chorus, before the nastiest breakdown takes over.

The slowdown right before the breakdown, the double kicks, the glitchy vocals, the filthy lows, the even glitchier cuts, AND the outro candid laugh?? An absolute menace of an ending, and I love it, so fucking much. It's been a while since Bring Me The Horizon had the audacity to double-kick at that speed, and to throw it onto a CORPSE track is unbelievably wild. If you tell me that the audio clip at the end is CORPSE's genuine reaction to hearing the end of the song for the first time, I would not doubt it at all.

Credits to the ruthlessly heavy low-tuned guitarwork, and the stellar production work that feels like a seamless blend of both CORPSE's and Bring Me The Horizon's individual soundscapes. I'm still in awe at both the actuality of this collaboration and the quality of it, because as much as this makes so much sense now, I never even came close to thinking about it. I'm so glad CORPSE is making heavier music, and even more glad that Bring Me The Horizon are the people helping him dip his toes into this side of music. And we have yet to see until the next POST HUMAN record comes out, but this could possibly take the title of heaviest Bring Me The Horizon song this year.

Rating: 4/5

EP: Adjy - Prelude (.3333) [2016]

With The Idyll Opus (I-VI) becoming one of my favourite albums of all time, I was more than curious to have a listen to the rest of their discography. Despite their decently long existence as a band so far, their releases seemed few and far between, so Prelude (.3333) seemed like the only option.

With a short tracklist of just four songs spanning twenty-five minutes, this EP serves as a spiritual, narrativistic AND chronological predecessor to The Idyll Opus (I-VI), which is quite a feat. Featuring similar soundscapes and stylistic choices of its successor, Prelude (.3333) is definitely a worthwhile part of their musical narrative universe.

Praepositio is an unexpected but energetic start to the experience. Coming in with nothing but hefty march-like drumming, one that drives the song for most of its runtime, this song presents itself as one of the most meta-lyrical on the EP. With sporadic and restless verses, running with the concepts of literature and fiction to wherever it can go. Even the echoing refrain staining the entire song, "Melopoeia, Mythopoeic", are terms describing the art of crafting melody and myth respectively. It is a lively, heavy percussion, drum-led experience, constantly jumping and swerving and even throwing an 11/8 rhythm on the verse. Despite it all, they sound like they're in full form (except for the banjo, where's the banjo?), and distinctly Adjy.

Another Flammarion Woodcut is the longest track on the EP by a good amount, sitting pretty at nine and a half minutes, and it is well spent. Another percussion-heavy track, this time co-led by a sparkly synth melody and slow keys, as well as a lot of other instruments and sounds that come and go. It's a noticeably calmer song, although it still has its strong moments, complete with anthemic guitars, gang vocals and powerful melodies. I love the simmering 5/4 middle section, and I love the grit in his voice nearing the end as the lyrics get confessional, it's cool to see them stray a bit from their comfort zone in technique.

Hyperthymesia has slowly but surely grown on me as I listened to the EP more and more, and as much as the typo on Spotify bugs me, the song itself is the exact opposite. Being the most cohesive, and admittedly most pop-leaning, song on the EP, its appeal to me is simply stellar musical workmanship. Between the wonderfully complementing layers and the heartfully poetic lyrics, laid upon a fast-paced yet elegant rhythm and melody, it becomes the most emotionally-infused and narratively strong track of the four, especially with its heavy referencing and tie-ins to the story and universe of The Idyll Opus (I-VI). I especially love the sounds going on, between the vocal oohs-and-aahs, sparkly xylophones and bells. The drumming is exquisitely dynamic and powerful, and the guitarwork building the beautiful background melodies accentuates the soundscape well, and it just feels ethereal.

Grammatology is the final track, and actually a song brought forward from their previous release, called Of Grammatology on that EP (one that I cannot play on Spotify, sadly). With the same sonic fingerprint of the rest of the EP, and some fun samples sprinkled in, this song is the most vibrant of the four. Coming in at a slow pace and a lullaby-like atmosphere, save for the tasteful drumming, it's easy to fall into a trance and into the soundscape. After delay-reverb guitars and beautiful arpeggios, there is an intermission-like sequence populated by various overlapping dialogues before a Speak & Spell comes in to spell out "reconstruct", followed by a strong climatic ending reaching the decibel peaks of their sound.

Coming from The Idyll Opus (I-VI), it was easy for me to mistake this as a less cohesive record given how the album was completely narratively intertwined, whereas Prelude (.3333) felt more like an anthology of four parts, but I've come to appreciate these four songs and the perspective they offer into the universe. It's also a brilliant endeavour from the band sonically and stylistically, although given that it is in retrospect, it'd make more sense to say that they were always capable of producing an expansive soundscape woven with a whole storyline worth of sentiment. Where The Idyll Opus (I-VI) is restrained to the flow of the narrative, Prelude (.3333) gets to hop and skip to and fro, and it definitely makes for an easier to love listening experience. Regardless, my love for Adjy's work only grows stronger.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Praepositio

2. Another Flammarion Woodcut

3. Hyperthymesia

4. Grammatology

Lyric Of The Week 71: Forever

"Two burning hearts are dared to break."

Lewis Capaldi - Forever, from the album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent

Song: Harper - Weight Of The World (feat. We Came As Romans and Brand Of Sacrifice) [2023]

Harper is one of the most exciting modern metal phenomenons in the last few years. A ten-year old girl doing harsh vocals professionally is already amazing as is, but hitting America's Got Talent, joining Pale Chord Records and now a collaboration with two of modern metal's strongest bands is as left field as it gets. Weight Of The World boasts writing and production credits to Brand Of Sacrifice and a vocal feature from We Came As Romans' David Stephens.

I think the most shocking thing to me is how quickly her vocals have improved, it is insane how much more professional she sounds only 10 months after her first single. Falling was a solid display of talent for a debut, but it was clear there was still potential yet to be realised. Weight Of The World feels extremely polished and clean compared to Falling, and for good reason.

I think credit has to be given to the Brand Of Sacrifice boys for the production work, which plays a significant part in making this song stand so well. Their electronic deathcore sound plays a strong influence here despite the metalcore setting, and the mixing and mastering of the vocals results in a much tighter and cleaner scream texture. That said, it is undeniable that her harsh vocals have improved astoundingly. The fact that she has solid lows already blows my mind, but the more subtle sign is of how consistently robust her harsh vocals are throughout: They don't falter at all, the grit and distortion is strong, and she's beginning to develop a distinct tone. David taking the chorus is a great choice, both because his sing-screams are amazing, and because it is a really smart creative choice. I'm willing to bet Harper hasn't fully realised her singing and sing-scream potential, so it may have dulled the overall song experience a small bit, but it is also just a flex to drop a harsh-vocals only track to cement her standing in heavy modern metal.

Although Harper has little to do with the instrumentals, I commend the improvement between this and Falling. I get the impression that there was a much stronger musical direction with this song and a clearer goal in mind, whereas Falling felt too experimental and lacked cohesiveness. No hate to Chris Wiseman at all, and I get the desire to avoid the generic metalcore rabbit hole, but it's hard to argue against the fact that this song turned out so much better. And all things considered, metalcore is a great genre to show off vocals on, which is exactly what Harper does.

Harper has swiftly gone from someone I kept an eye on because she had potential to become good, to someone I'm going to keep an eye on because she has potential to blow up the scene in time. I'm excited to see where she heads next and what collaborations might come with this, and I'm sure her journey ahead will only get crazier.

Rating: 3.5/5

Album: Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch [2023]

I've always had mixed feelings about choosing to listening to records more or less blind, but this was an unbelievably lucky find. I only know Hot Mulligan from one (1) song, their semi-viral I Fell in Love With Princess Peach single, and this album doesn't even sound much too similar to that song, so I'd like to think I simply high-rolled on choosing to listen to this record.

Their modern emo sound, or as they've self-coined Post-Emo, is a tastefully unique take on the midwestern emo and screamo style reminiscent of Tiny Moving Parts but with just a bit more grit. When I first played through the whole record, I immediately found myself deeply intrigued and enjoying the sound that they created.

I think the appeal of it all is a complex blend of multitudes I can't pinpoint, but it's roughly about the blend of pop-punk's catchiness and emo's rawness, all with a subtle but poignant maturity that succeeds where pop-punk and emo's bluntness fails. Every part of the band is super tuned in and cohesive, and their sense of musical direction is unorthodox yet brilliant.

The dual vocal setup gives them a lot of flexibility in the vocal department, and the range of textures they can achieve is what gives the record so much character and passion. The lead vocalist has a particularly cathartic set of vocals that he so effortlessly transitions between, switching from singing to screaming on the drop of a dime, and guitarist contributing vocals adds so much dynamicism to the music.

One of the most surprising things about this record to me is the heaviness of the lyricism. It's so raw and confessional, unapologetically genuine and so candidly human. There was a strangely poetic nature to the lyrics on the record, cemented further by the passionately emotional and evocative delivery from the vocalists. Between the vibrant yet chaotic instrumentation and the relentlessly energetic vocal performances, they achieve a perfect level of accentuated authenticity for optimal modern angst.

Heavy credit should be given to the guitarwork and drumwork behind the record, it's extremely nuanced and does a splendid job at painting a soundscape that resembles a modern take on midwest emo: suspiciously happy-sounding melodies and chord progressions, sparingly reverb-drenched and mildly distorted, lending elements and techniques from math rock and pop-punk, while the drums take on a very essential role in managing dynamics and setting the foundation for the band, in both groove and energy.

I've quickly found a lot of things to love about this record. Between the variety of long nonsensical song titles and the sheer density of hidden vulnerability, Why Would I Watch has quickly become a favourite of 2023. I don't know of any other band that comes close to the sound that they have, and I'm super happy to have decided to listen to this album.

Rating: 10/10

Tracklist:

1. Shouldn't Have a Leg Hole But I Do

2. It's a Family Movie She Hates Her Dad

3. And I Smoke

4. This Song is Called it's Called What's it Called

5. No Shoes in the Coffee Shop (Or Socks)

6. Christ Alive My Toe Dammit Hurts

7. Betty

8. Cock Party 2 (Better Than The First)

9. Shhhh! Golf is On

10. Gans Media Retro Games

11. Smahccked My Head Awf

12. John "The Rock" Cena, Can You Smell What the Undertaker

Song: Bring Me The Horizon - AmEN! (feat. Lil Uzi Vert and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw) [2023]

AmEN! came out of nowhere and was like a sucker punch to the metal scene. Bring Me The Horizon is back again with another expectation-defying release, this time recruiting the surprising likes of rapper Lil Uzi Vert and post-hardcore legends Glassjaw's vocalist Daryl Palumbo. Straying from the current status quo of "future emo" tracks, AmEN! is a potent dose of heavy that rivals some of their heaviest releases in the past decade.

The intro wastes no time with getting heavy, pummeling the listener with groovy riffing and beastly vocals, Oli refurbishing his monster growls and lows from his Count Your Blessings and Suicide Season days. Within fifteen seconds, the first verse is done and done, but they've done enough damage to make it clear: this is a heavy one.

The chorus, like many of their choruses, is the same excellent balance of catchiness and energy that they've perfected over the years. I love the cynical gospel vibe and how anthemic the chorus is, and his sing-screams are only getting better.

The features all squeeze into the second verse, and I'll admit that fifteen seconds each isn't a lot of time to let guests add their sound to a track, but given the inherent nature of both guests to begin with, I think they were great features in the end. Daryl likely has had a big part to play in where Bring Me The Horizon is now, whether directly or indirectly influencing the scene and the band, and Lil Uzi Vert is just a rapper who happens to be a scene kid, and their features fit surprisingly well.

The entire back end from the breakdown onwards gets real intense. The vocals get monstrous, the instrumentation ramps up and the soundscape turns hellish. The initial breakdown doesn't hit as hard as expected, surprisingly, but it just keeps getting heavier. The double kicks are brutal, that one holy sample is cheeky but well-placed, the electronics are pristine and bold, the instrumental dropout is super effective, the blast beats on the final modified chorus are asinine, and the outro is demonic with tight production work to boot.

I love how otherworldly they are beginning to sound, with their unbelievably intricate production and boundary-pushing creativity. Ever since POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, it was clear they could do anything they wanted, but they flawlessly shake up the scene with every song they release and constantly redefine the limits of what's possible with heavy music. And on top of all of that, it's still undeniably catchy and replayable, and still fit the "future emo" style that they're going for. Now with the announcement of POST HUMAN: NEX GEN, I cannot be more excited, and as far as anticipation goes, this is as good as it gets.

Rating: 3.5/5

Lyric Of The Week 70: Mercy

"Life's swinging hard but I'm swinging harder."

The Ghost Inside - Mercy, from the album Dear Youth