Bring Me The Horizon releases a new song, “Kool-Aid.” I have to hand it to them. From the first second, the song sounds like how the cover art looks: artistic coherence, that is hard to come by. Another thing that is hard to come by is a band that manages to sound old and fresh at the same time. #"Kool-Aid" certainly sounds like something I could have listened to when I was in my metal phase 10 years ago, but it also does not sound outdated or boring. I am honestly not sure how they manage to keep the essential parts of that old sound while still sounding fresh. Secret recipe probably. I think they are keeping up to date with modern mixing techniques, technology, and so forth while applying their same musical mindset to their project, not trying too hard to adhere to any given trends that are going on. What I am saying is that there are genres in music where change happens so fast, such as EDM, where there is a new trend almost every year. Then there are genres like metalcore where the popular sound has more longevity, both leading to good and bad, of course.

The song features lead singer Oliver Sykes with his screaming vocals in verses and a big anthemic chorus. Themes in metal/metalcore are often dark but meant to have a therapeutic effect. This song is no different. “Kool-Aid” most likely refers to the popular phrase “drinking the Kool Aid.” The lyrics speak about a confused generation born on failed promises. We see themes of suffering, manipulation, and toxic relationships. Overall, this points towards a dissatisfaction with the status quo and couples with the title “Kool-Aid” kind of suggests that BMTH are talking about this generation blindly accepting a flawed ideology and living “wrongly” in some ways. This topic is not easily digested. It is also not easy to write lyrics on this topic that don’t appear to come from a “holier than thou” perspective. I think BMTH does pretty well in that regard. On the other hand, if you scream the lyrics, no one can really understand what you are saying anyway. Jokes aside.

This song fits well for dedicated fans who are disappointed with the direction of BMTH’s latest project “DarkSide,” where they softened up a bit with their sound. It also fits well for a listener who has given up metalcore long ago (me) but wants a quick nostalgia and energy boost. I don’t think there is almost anything wrong with this piece of music if you fit it into the metalcore box. A lot of artists don’t like to be boxed up, but still, it is useful and interesting when you want to compare them with other acts and look through the history of a certain sound, how it developed. How exactly we got to the point that BMTH is at, I am not entirely sure. But I see a lot of similarities between their latest metalcore release and some of the good old stuff from not only them but bands like Asking Alexandria. I have respect for sticking to what you know and perfecting it and as long as there is a crowd, I am happy to see BMTH fronting the metalcore genre.

Author: Peter Källman

Peter Källman is a writer from Sweden who loves playing in bands, writing reviews and going to live shows!