Amo – Bring Me The Horizon Album Review

Track Listing

i apologise if you feel something
MANTRA
nihilist blues
in the dark
wonderful life
ouch
medicine
sugar honey ice & tea
why you gotta kick me when i’m down?
fresh bruises
mother tongue
heavy metal
i don’t know what to say

Bring Me The Horizon are one of those unpredictable bands you can never quite figure out. Beginning as a hardcore group before mellowing into alt-pop territory, Bring Me The Horizon have always pushed the boundaries of their music. Although not always nailing that sweet spot on past albums, you can’t help but admire the willingness of this group to push boundaries and break down genre conventions. Amo is the group’s latest studio album and a culmination of 12 years worth of experimentation. Blending nu metal, trance, alt rock and pop together into 13 stylistically different tracks, Amo is a triumph from start to finish and the perfect showcase for an incredibly diverse band.

So how do you go about reviewing such an album? While you could lament the lack of hardcore or the distinct lack of electric guitars with intricate riffs and solos, the sheer versatility and variety on offer here is something not seen with many bands of its kind. Nihilistic Blues’ incredible synth-driven beat feels like a blend of progressive house and trance layered with soothing vocals. Wonderful Life and MANTRA are closer to the band’s original sound, with a killer riff and breakdown in both tracks that are sure to get your head bopping throughout. Medicine hits those pop/rock vibes perfectly while i don’t know what to say combines an epic orchestral score with guitar riffs and lyrics to close the album on a suitably impressive note.

Bringing so many styles and influences together should be an unmitigated disaster yet somehow its not. The group have done something special here; years of various influences and styles combined into one eclectic mix. The album has an ebb and flow that simply oozes charisma and each track feels significantly different and deliberately placed. The production is tight throughout as well, with plenty of reverb, distortion, splicing and various different instruments used to get the most out of every track.

For all the positives, this is not going to be an album for everyone. Those expecting the group to return to their roots and deliver a stomping hardcore showcase are sure to leave disappointed. Bring Me The Horizon have always been about pushing the boundaries of their sound and if you can accept this is not the same sound the group started out with, you’re sure to leave satisfied. The sheer audacity to produce something like this while riding a wave of popularity, pushing boundaries, influences and sounds, is worth applauding alone. Bring Me The Horizon have produced something really special here and Amo sets the bar for other bands to try and strive toward going forward.