Band:	Bring Me The Horizon
Album:	Post Human: Nex Gen
Style:	Electronic, Alternative rock
Release date:	May 2024

01. [Ost] Dreamseeker
02. YOUtopia
03. Kool-Aid
04. Top 10 Statues That Cried Blod
05. Limousine [feat. Aurora]
06. Darkside
07. A Bullet W/ My Name On [feat. Underoath]
08. [Ost] (Spi)ritual
09. N/A
10. Lost
11. Strangers
12. R.i.p. [duskCOre RemIx]
13. Amen! [feat. Lil Uzi Vert & Daryl Palumbo]
14. [Ost] P.u.s.s.-e
15. DiE4u
16. Dig It

This is going to end in tears? Maybe not.

To say that a band has endured a love-hate relationship with the music world is to undersell the story of Bring Me The Horizon, a band that, for better or worse, are (in)famous in the world of metal. Turning a corner somewhat in recent years, the band's reputation (and output) has improved, meaning that the eventual follow-up to 2020's Post Human: Survival Horror was going to catch attention even without a publicity campaign.

The surprise release of Post Human: Nex Gen follows months of delays and dramas, and years of single releases; the departure of a key member in Jordan Fish in the middle of production certainly marked the album out as an anticipated release, if only to satisfy curiosity as to how it would turn out. Well, curiosity sated, the band have produced another interesting release.

With its bright and vibrant sound, Post Human: Nex Gen is a polished record that feels like a roller coaster ride of an experience, from gentle twists and turns, to high-speed drops and loops that see you hold on wondering what will happen around the next corner. "Top 10 Statues That Cried Blood" [note: some song names are stylized differently, for sake of legibility I'm presenting them normally] is an example of how Bring Me The Horizon blend their different sounds into a surprisingly coherent and enjoyable track, something that the band repeat with various levels of success throughout.

The diverse range of sounds on display does mean that anticipating the next track is nigh-on impossible, and to an extent leads to a listening experience akin to a game of Russian roulette. While "Limousine" sees the band channel their inner Deftones, "N/A" starts off like an Oasis B-side and "P.U.S.S.E" is like walking into a rave; to say that the band can't pick a lane is an understatement. Whether this is a strength or not will depend on how well you feel the band handle these different styles.

The one constant, however, is the sheer amount of effects and layers that Sykes' vocals are pushed through; "Die4u" sounds like he was substituted out with an A.I. version of himself. This is ultimately a shame, as while I wouldn't consider him a great vocalist, Sykes is more than capable enough to ditch the effects once in a while and just do things organically (well, as organically as a modern album is nowadays).

Surprisingly, it's when the band indulge their hyperpop (who names these genres anyway?) sensibilities, such as on "Lost" and "Youtopia", that I find they hit their stride, finding that sweet spot between pop melodies and a rock edge to power them from start to end. Though this is very much an album where your mileage will vary, with it likely to be one of, if not the most, polarising albums of the year. One thing that can be said of Bring Me The Horizon, even as they shift into more "commercial" sounds, they don't take the easy route and like to shake things up.

While it used to be easy to scoff and dismiss out of hand the idea of listening to a Bring Me The Horizon album, let alone potentially enjoying it, the band have made the case for at least hearing them out, even if to see listeners part like the Red Sea between those who enjoy it and those who very much do not.