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