Whether you’re in awe of their music and aesthetic, or bitterly hate everything about them, Bring Me The Horizon are one band that are guaranteed to provoke a strong reaction. Mentioning their name is akin to releasing a few drops of blood into a tank full of piranhas, thanks to the frenzy of activity it causes, with committed haters and diehard supporters alike fighting to voice their opinion on the Sheffield five- piece. Rarely has a band been so divisive, and that seems to be just the way they like it, having merrily stepped on toes left, right and centre since their formation.
Not enough that they should use deathcore – the bastard combination of hardcore and death metal viewed with outright suspicion by both communities since day one – as their mode of expression, they also appear to have gone out of their way to antagonise all non-believers and stick one collective middle finger to anyone who dares to suggest that they show respect to the bands and scene that existed before they came along. This is, after all, the group who once claimed that were “not really grindcore”. Ultimately, BMTH’s notoriety stems not only from their outspoken and provocative nature, but the fact that they are almost entirely at odds with the rest of the metal scene, not least in their stylised and fashion-conscious appearance, which has earned them accusations of style over substance.
Add to this the fact that vocalist Oli Sykes – who soaks up a good deal more than his 20 per cent .