Honey Honey, How You Thrill Me.
Now before you all start jumping up and down and pointing accusatory fingers, you need to get a grip, strap on your walking boots and dive down this rabbit hole for an adventure with our friends BMTH. Admittedly, I was the same at first, I mean where are those luscious locks, eh Oli? My initial reaction was that they can come back and find me once they have “found themselves”, unfair I know, but second and third listen in and I’m all ears.
Heavy metal has always been a societal pinata- see Judas Priest, Twisted Sister and Marilyn Manson- we really don’t need to beat each other up, there are plenty of people lining up to do that. As divisive as Brexit maybe, but you’ve heard enough about that.
Opener “I Apologise If You Feel Something” is like waiting for Norman Bates to throw back the shower curtain and stick the knife in. We continue to chant our “MANTRA” as we head into neighbouring territories with this quite experimental, and electronically driven album. It’s not traditional BMTH, it is a Sunday roast dinner in stilettos, unusual, but hey, creativity is good, and artists need that freedom to dig a little deeper.
Awaken the nihilist within (ft. Grimes) and let it all hang out as we sing the blues and do away with religion and society norms and adopt the morals of an alley cat, meow. Secrets are needed to avail dishonesty and although it’s not nice being kept “In The Dark” you don’t mind with these lads for company.
My favourite is next, “Wonderful Life” as Dani Filth is in the video, but it has a great chorus
“Nobody cares if I’m dead or alive” and then we have the two- minute warning ( well, almost) in “Ouch”, a palette cleanser if you will, for the next few courses.
“Medicine” sees a very Deep Six type video, “it may sting a bit” but you still swallow greedily. This is relatable to many of us with a longing to give someone a taste of their own medicine and the lyric
“Some people are like clouds, I’m brighter when they go.”
It all gets a bit Alice In Wonderland; each song has an eat me, drink me quality, potions distributed and ingested, we dazzle in the somewhat dizzying and mind bending after effects.
Although not entirely to my taste with the dance vibes, I still find it a little sassy, a little classy and a major kick in the assy!
The nature and composition of humanity is on show now with “Sugar, Honey, Ice and Tea”
a euphemism of sorts. I was a bit slow on the uptake, but I got there in the end. I blame the Mastodon gig a few days ago- which was incredible- that I’m still reeling from and it has left me a little south of competent.
“Why You Gotta Kick Me When I’m Down?” has more clever lyrics and a distinct sinister tonal aspect. With “Fresh Bruises” do not expect to find the usual physical pummelling from BMTH, these are the silent type. It’s the quiet ones you have to watch.
Love has not been a specialist subject for me, but I am strangely drawn to “Mother Tongue”
its that flippin’ chorus with its sing out loud words
“don’t say you love me fala amo”.
An ode to “Heavy Metal” ft. Rahzel sees different elements of music collide and produce an extraordinary sound. With its “you love me , you love me not” attitude we acknowledge that we all have varying experiences that we express through art. Oh, and Oli can still growl.
“I Don’t Know What To Say” closes this album, with another reference to opening gates, I assume we are encouraged to be open and warm and friendly in our outlook. That can’t be a bad thing, can it? There is something very 2001- A Space Odyssey about the lyric video, very cinematic and of film soundtrack potential.
What this record reminds me of is Twenty-One Pilots, if they can produce an album like “Trench” then why not other musicians? I suppose a little vilification is expected when you put your heart on the line. Understand it, accept it.
BMTH – I still fuckin’ love you….