I have been listening to the band from Leeds (I was pretty shocked to discover that until a bit of interaction with the crowd during a Download Festival in 2014.) towards the end of last year. In the first few days of the current year, I watched some of their gigs combined via the playlist function on YouTube. I also watched one of their recent shows from last year (I say current; it was last February or something.) Now, onto the album…well, as you can see, the title isn’t all that cheery, and when you listen to the record, it synchronises with the title. The subject matters are gritty, too, as the band talks about right-wing politics, addiction, mental health, political correctness, and how the world has become dependent on technology. I was instead struck by the odd choice of having less than ten songs, with the album having just nine, which makes for a relatively quick listen. What it loses in length makes up for it in collaborations, being just under half of the record. It also sees a return to the band’s earlier sound with experimental chucked in for good measure.

The opening track, “Dear Diary”, has an air raid siren thrown in, which one could say is quite apt when you consider the album’s title. You can also hear leading vocalist Oli Sykes declare he can’t stomach any more survival horror and is going insane over the heavy metal guitars. The guitar solo is sublime, which comes in after the first chorus, and the frenetic tempo of the drums will be sure to have you headbanging like Beavis and Butt-Head (Funnily enough, I was watching a football match while listening, and the pace of the play matched the speed of the album.).

I remember hearing some of the tracks being teased in 2019 and 2020 during their shows (Especially “Ludens”, which I might talk about a bit later.). I am next going to focus on “Teardrops” because this one comes from the heart, and Oli doesn’t hold back, and he talks candidly about his years of fighting addiction that led to him becoming depressed and suffering from anxiety. This could well be another turning point in a listener’s life because Oli foretells what it is like to feel rock bottom and how your life is slipping away, and you are just numb. We have the typical Bring Me the Horizon sound to match Oli’s distressed yet passionate vocals with heavy guitars and those hooks that get embedded into your soul every time you listen. With Oli talking about such an ordeal, this song will be the most essential song they have written in a long time. Young people will listen and feel encouraged to see health professionals if they are experiencing the same issues. Hopefully, that will lead to them losing the shame of discussing it with their friends and family. “Obey”, however, is a more uplifting track but laced with sarcasm as Oli and Youngblud aim at the shambolic British government.

I did like “Itch for the Cure (When Will We Be Free?)”, but it’s a segue into “Kingslayer”. It is quite simply a transition because both tracks have Pendulum-like Drum n Bass sounds. The Su-metal feature from Babymetal more than matches Oli’s acidic vocals, bringing an anime feel.

Now, the title is something of a mouthful: “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death.”…You see? It’s a bloody long title and could be more pleasing to read. But, despite my love of the Pendulum-Esque “Kingslayer”, the final track with Evanescence’s Amy Lee runs away with the victory. Considering her vocals on “Bring Me to Life” by her band Evanescence, Amy Lee is ideal for this. The song has a very hymnal sound that gradually blossoms into slower pop. I love the vocal combination; you can feel how both got into character. It’s not a conventional Bring Me the Horizon song; it is more suited to Evanescence, but it is pretty beautiful despite the title and the ghostly aura.

Song recommendations: “One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death”, “Teardrops”, “Kingslayer”

8/10