This Is Sempiternal

On April 1st 2013 Bring Me The Horizon released what would become one of the most influential metal albums of the 21st century. This album was their 4th studio effort, Sempiternal and with it's experimentation beyond the limitations of metalcore, it quickly became one of the most copied and mimicked records in the history of the genre. This record marked several major changes for the band including the departure of guitarist Jona Weinhofen, whom many credit as being the driving force of the bands heaviness, as well as the addition of songwriter and keyboardist Jordan Fish and the use of legendary metal producer Terry Date. The aforementioned changes lead to significant shifts in the bands direction with a much stronger focus on song structure, hooks, and electronics. Looking back in hindsight, the seeds were being sewn for the groups venture into pop infused rock here but with a sharper still metalcore and post-hardcore edge.

After being largely a band that critics despised throughout their early career, Sempiternal saw am alteration on the way the band was perceived. With the band now placing a much greater emphasis on traditional pop style song structuring, critics now praised them for their ability to write catchy hooks and choruses as well as arena ready chant-friendly songs such as Shadow Moses. This record fully shed their deathcore roots for the first time as while there was less of it on previous records, it was fully removed here in an effort to distance themselves from that movement and further expand their musical horizons. Sempiternal also saw Oliver Sykes expand his vocal range the most he ever had to this point which allowed for more different styles to be used on the record. Post-hardcore, alternative rock, and electronic became prevailing influences for Bring Me The Horizon at this time, something that would go on the influence nearly every band in the scene that would come post-2013.

In conclusion, Sempiternal was not only a landmark album for metalcore that opened the eyes of many critics, showcasing that what was thought to be possible for a metalcore band far exceeded critics expectations, but also inspired dozens upon dozens of their peers to try to recreate the magic of this record. At this point in time you'd be hard pressed to turn on a metalcore or post-hardcore record and not hear some taste of what Bring Me The Horizon. Sometimes it can be frustrating to hear so many bands try to ride the coattails of this record but Bring Me The Horizon can not be blamed for creating such an influential style. Sempiternal is hands down the most influential metal record of the 2010's and it's reach doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon as the band continues to explore and genre bend beyond what anyone thought was possible for a band that was once so extreme.