Empress, Crossfaith and Bring Me The Horizon at Portsmouth Pyramids 4/5/13

Progressive rock band Empress were the first band to grace the stage in Portsmouth, and despite being relatively unheard of, they performed a strong set which left the crowd wanting more. The progressive rock vibe presented in their music differed greatly from Bring Me The Horizon’s iconic sound, but Ollie Loring’s screaming and singing vocals sounded impressive and filled the venue well. The guitar riffs were especially impressive, making it no wonder that they’re going from strength to strength supporting many rock and metal bands this year.

Crossfaith are renowned for being an eccentric electronica band from Japan, and their live show definitely further enhances this image. The energy emerging from Crossfaith is almost contagious, and whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying that they put on a great live show. Their latest party hit ‘Jagerbomb’ sounded great live, and their cover of ‘Omen’ by The Prodigy got the crowd moving well. If you want to see a band with the crazy attitude of Dir En Grey, but with more technical music, then Crossfaith are the band for you.

Love them or hate them, Bring Me The Horizon are one of the biggest rock/metal bands around at the moment. Their album ‘Sempiternal’ showed their progression in both lyric-wise and in a musical direction, so there’s no surprise that there were huge expectations for their live show. Bring Me The Horizon further proved their progression in their live show, with Oli Sykes’ vocals sounding even better than on recording. Playing both old and new songs, Bring Me The Horizon proved the doubters wrong and played one of the best shows of the year. Highlights of their set included ‘Chelsea Smile’, ‘And The Snakes Start To Sing’ and ‘Blessed With A Curse’. Ending their incredible performance with ‘Sleepwalking’, Oli and co. proved that Bring Me The Horizon are a band who will continue to get better and better as their career continues.

Check out Empress here: https://www.facebook.com/Empressband
Check out Crossfaith here: https://www.facebook.com/crossfaithofficial
Check out Bring Me The Horizon here: https://www.facebook.com/bmthofficial

Bring Me The Horizon 'Sempiternal' Album Review

Whether you love them or hate them, it’s no secret that Bring Me The Horizon are back. After ditching rhythm guitarist Jona Weinhofen and gaining keyboardist Jordan Fish, the Sheffield metalcore group have finally released a follow up album to 2010’s ‘There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret’. ‘Sempiternal’ has stormed charts all over the world, reaching number one in both Australia and the UK.

Opening track ‘Can You Feel My Heart?’ instantly demonstrates Bring Me The Horizon’s change in musical direction due to the strong synth sounds and hard-hitting vocals, compared to the fast-paced guitar riffs and weak screaming vocals on their previous three albums. Oliver Sykes’ lyrics have progressed and reflect his personal issues, expressed well in the lyric “I can’t drown my demons, they know how to swim.”

The most impressive song on the album is ‘Sleepwalking’, as it manages to incorporate keyboards and screaming vocals in a way that most bands could only dream of.

‘Shadow Moses’ was the first single to be released from ‘Sempiternal’, and with its catchy chorus and heavy breakdowns, it’s no wonder that it’s many fan’s favourite song. ‘As The Snakes Start To Sing’ is the slowest song on the album, but the interesting mix of synth sounds and technical guitar riffs make it anything but boring.

‘Anti-Vist’ is strong proof that Bring Me The Horizon still know how to make angst-filled, fast-paced anthems and would sound incredible played live. ‘Empire (Let Them Sing)’ features an impressive breakdown and Oliver Sykes’ vocals are both unique and adaptable.

‘Hospital For Souls’ is a great closing song and as a listener you almost feel a sense of catharsis after hearing the whole of ‘Sempiternal’; it feels like Oliver Sykes and co have managed to rid you of your anger in less than 42 minutes. ‘Sempiternal’ is an album which has turned many people who hated Bring Me The Horizon into fans, which is a huge feat for any band. If you’re only going to listen to one album by Bring Me The Horizon, then this should be it.  

Six More Band Announcements for Reading and Leeds Festival

Alongside the success of their latest album ‘Opposites’, Biffy Clyro have just been announced as the second headliner for Reading Festival.  System of a Down, Fall Out Boy, Foals, Jake Bugg and Bring Me The Horizon have also been announced. The bands previously announced include Eminem, Deftones and Alt-J.

Get your tickets here: http://www.readingandleedsfestival.com/

Bring Me The Horizon ‘Shadow Moses’ Single Review

Love them or hate them, Bring Me The Horizon are back with their new album ‘Sempiternal’, which will be released in April. ‘Shadow Moses’ is the latest single from that album, and it was premiered on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show. The beginning of the song is very ambient, and it then leads into heavy guitaring and Oli Sykes’ trademark angry vocals. There is a prominent fast drum beat, and the guitaring sounds a lot more technical than their previous work. It’s a strong track and if the rest of the album shapes up to be as good as this song, then Bring Me The Horizon are onto a winner.

Check out the single here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_OHvffAOmA
Check out Bring Me The Horizon here: http://www.facebook.com/bmthofficial