That's the Spirit
by Bring Me the Horizon
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Sep 11, 2015
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 381 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 271 out of 381
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 381
  3. Negative: 64 out of 381
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  1. BrushedRed
    Sep 11, 2015
    5
    Very different than TIAH and Sempiternal... And not for the better. BMTH never stood out in the deathcore scene too much but once they altered their sound in TIAH, they took the world by surprise and actually garnered international acclaim, and they deserved it. Seeing the direction they were headed, I was excited for their next release.. Well it's finally here and how do I feel? Well IVery different than TIAH and Sempiternal... And not for the better. BMTH never stood out in the deathcore scene too much but once they altered their sound in TIAH, they took the world by surprise and actually garnered international acclaim, and they deserved it. Seeing the direction they were headed, I was excited for their next release.. Well it's finally here and how do I feel? Well I feel somewhat disappointed.

    The album begins with "Doomed," a wonderful song that seems to come straight from Sempiternal.. After that, tracks 2-6 are a total bore. Just generic metal core. Track 5, "Follow You," is different than the rest of that group, and it's actually nice, but it's a bit repetitive.

    Now once you get to track 7, track 7 through the end is great and very reminiscent of some Sempiternal songs: atmospheric, fast, and catchy. "Oh No," the closer, was actually surprising with the nice jazz-ish solo toward the end but sadly this experimentation is not seen a lot in the album. It felt flat, too polished, and too safe, in a nutshell.

    I recommend: "Doomed," "Avalache," and "Oh No"

    I feel it's a 6/10. Could've been higher if they left out the first half (save for the first song). I felt it bloated most of the record.    … Expand
  2. asjklasjklas
    Sep 18, 2015
    4
    Bring Me the Horizon are actually one of the most listenable bands from that mid-'00s born, Hot Topic clothed 'screamo' era that many of us tried on like a trendy fashion statement then quickly grew out of. But 2010's There Is a Hell was an overall excellent effort at expanding their formerly generic post-hardcore sound into experimental territory and genuine horizons. Then came 2013'sBring Me the Horizon are actually one of the most listenable bands from that mid-'00s born, Hot Topic clothed 'screamo' era that many of us tried on like a trendy fashion statement then quickly grew out of. But 2010's There Is a Hell was an overall excellent effort at expanding their formerly generic post-hardcore sound into experimental territory and genuine horizons. Then came 2013's Sempiternal, which incorporated influences of prog-rock, electronica and even introduced frontman Oliver Skye's clean vocals that were withered yet warm, a welcoming addition to their ever-expanding sound. Despite the album's explicit anti-religious themes, it felt as if they were pushing more toward a more straightforward sound throughout.

    But experimentalism didn't quite make it into their 2014 single "Drown", a mostly mainstream radio-friendly rock single that's about as faceless as it is faded of the band's post-hardcore roots. And That's the Spirit follows along by turning Bring Me the Horizon into the '10's recreation of '00s-era pop-punk, pop rock and even cringeworthy nü-metal moments only the most nostalgic music listener could love. It's an equally devastating and disappointing blow to the fans that wanted Skyes and co. to enter an experimental version of their core sound, not a complete deconstruction in a desperate attempt to earn the band another charting single. The opening "Doomed" does a decent attempt at incorporating electronics into their newfound mainstream rock sound, but it eventually descends as soon as the rest of the tracks play on, never separating themselves from each other until the trance-y breakdown hits on the closing "Oh No".

    It's certainly not a complete disaster more than it is a weak attempt at writing catchy, commercial rock songs that never end up sounding different from everything else we've already heard since the 21st century first began. It's especially concerning for a band capable of doing so much more than become a stereotype of the bands that have fell in their shadow for years.

    Overall rating: 4.3    … Expand
  3. Powerlesstostop
    Sep 11, 2015
    4
    Not a great Album, turned into a much softer pop band with no uniqueness. You can find softer music like this almost anywhere but not music like they have made before. Save your money.
  4. qwizit
    Oct 4, 2015
    6
    Whichever critic called this album the best of 2015 should be shot at dawn. This album is okay at best - an enjoyable listen if you want something a little softer than Bring Me's previous albums. However, there is very little new here and an obvious attempt at radio friendliness permeates the album - hints of DON BROCO are evident - and it feels as if they crafted this album to be playedWhichever critic called this album the best of 2015 should be shot at dawn. This album is okay at best - an enjoyable listen if you want something a little softer than Bring Me's previous albums. However, there is very little new here and an obvious attempt at radio friendliness permeates the album - hints of DON BROCO are evident - and it feels as if they crafted this album to be played back to back on Kerrang rather than for the love of music.… Expand
  5. ThatOneReviewa
    Oct 29, 2015
    6
    That's The Spirit, Bring Me The Horizon's fifth album, is good and bad. Fans may be disappointed with the band from departing from their Suicide Season to Sempiternal sound, and fans of debut album Count Your Blessings may be even more disappointed. However, some songs, such as "Happy Song" and Drown" are some of the band's best material. "Happy Song" is the biggest highlight for me.
  6. AiAmano
    Mar 7, 2016
    4
    Mostly this album is just uninspried and boring. It has a few good songs and i especially enjoy "Drown" and "Follow You", i think these are very good songs. And i don't wanna bash on them for being a bit more commercial now, i don't give a damn about that. Its just dull and boring music, that is mostly not put together very well. They kind of **** up by trying something new.
  7. BiboranTV
    Sep 13, 2015
    4
    Not a fan of this band at all, so i don't care if they have changed their sound or not. i was amazed by drown last year, really good song. This album has only 3-4 good songs, others are overproduced, generic and annoying.
  8. Andrey_Korsakov
    Sep 17, 2015
    4
    Can't fn believe how fast RCA bought the press. This mediocre album gets higher scores in basicly all of the magazines and so on. Talk about PR department of major record labels.

    Album itself is weak. Sempiternal was full of top notch songs, blending not-so-noisy-metal with electronic elements and heartfull melodies. THIS record looks like "leftovers from sempiternal", and i believe it    Can't fn believe how fast RCA bought the press. This mediocre album gets higher scores in basicly all of the magazines and so on. Talk about PR department of major record labels.

    Album itself is weak. Sempiternal was full of top notch songs, blending not-so-noisy-metal with electronic elements and heartfull melodies. THIS record looks like "leftovers from sempiternal", and i believe it is. Some songs sounds like b-sides from last record, and new ones is... well, debatable.

    Don't get me wrong, i love the electronic step that they took. I wish it was more of this chris-brown-rock, that sounds better that linkin park records of last five years, BUT the band should have push it harder. Dunno, them guys should probably forget about metal and write melodic r'n'b songs. Metal is only brings them down.

    Well, to sum it up, this album is mixture of a poprnb single containing Doomed and Follow You as A and B side, and leftovers from previous hit record.

    All them guys need is to finally realize, what kind of the band they want to be. They skip Simpeternal-kinda-way, but stuck with only couple of new genre songs, and it's not enough.

    Poor job, i expected more.    … Expand
  9. R1TC
    Sep 13, 2015
    5
    Sempiternal's fusion of genres was very well done, although it was a bit too overproduced for my liking. However, instead of moving forward logically, BMTH have jumped straight from the likeable angsty pop-metal of Sempiternal to a completely outdated nu-metal sound reminiscent of early Linkin Park.

    The best song on the album, Blasphemy, is only good because it sticks out as the least    Sempiternal's fusion of genres was very well done, although it was a bit too overproduced for my liking. However, instead of moving forward logically, BMTH have jumped straight from the likeable angsty pop-metal of Sempiternal to a completely outdated nu-metal sound reminiscent of early Linkin Park.

    The best song on the album, Blasphemy, is only good because it sticks out as the least boring pile of drivel on this overlong slogfest of an album. It would have been a strong closer, had BMTH not felt the need to put a goddamn five-minute long TRANCE song (yes indeed) at the end. Complete with inane lyrics and even a short sax solo, this pile of utter crap or "Oh No" as it is otherwise known, serves only to leave an extremely sour taste in the mouth after what could at least be described as a passable rock album.

    The overprocessed guitars and overcompressed drums (although the drums are probably the best musical part of the album) in addition to the ever-present bargain-basement NI Massive dubstep wobbles and generic trance leads make this album seem like nothing but a second-rate Enter Shikari record. However, what bothers me the most is the almost endless presence of the singing of Oli Sykes, who we all know cannot actually sing, which only further serves to push the fact that this album is an overproduced pile of pop garbage made exclusively for a radio audience that isn't interested in it at all because it isn't 2003 anymore.

    It's not all bad, as i pointed out there are certain redeeming qualities. Here's hoping that BMTH picks up the aggression and the rawness a bit more on their next album. But my goodness, this was a difficult listen.    … Expand
  10. royben14
    Dec 23, 2016
    5
    BMTH have showed the world their ability doing pop music with the pop-core songs of Sempiternal, but with this album the core/metal parts are completely absent and the pop is bad, i like pop good pop witch is hard to find these days so when ive heard BMTH is going to release a pop album i thought ill get my fair share of good artistic and experimental pop but what i got is run of the millBMTH have showed the world their ability doing pop music with the pop-core songs of Sempiternal, but with this album the core/metal parts are completely absent and the pop is bad, i like pop good pop witch is hard to find these days so when ive heard BMTH is going to release a pop album i thought ill get my fair share of good artistic and experimental pop but what i got is run of the mill modern boring pop trash… Expand
  11. HERMITANIO
    Jul 28, 2016
    4
    me sorprende que esto tenga una puntuacion tan alta.
    Hay que aclarar que la única canción rescatable de BMTH fue en Throne.
    y canciones como what you need, o follow you son géneros similares al pop. en pocas palabras el peor álbum de BMTH --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I surprise that this has such a high    me sorprende que esto tenga una puntuacion tan alta.
    Hay que aclarar que la única canción rescatable de BMTH fue en Throne.
    y canciones como what you need, o follow you son géneros similares al pop.
    en pocas palabras el peor álbum de BMTH
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I surprise that this has such a high punctuation. It is necessary to clarify that the only song that is saved from BMTH was in Throne. and songs as what you need, or follow you are kinds similar to the pop. briefly the BMTH's worst album    … Expand
  12. clem666
    Jan 3, 2021
    4
    I am sure that I will attract a number of detractors and haters as a result of this review. However this is what I thought about this album.
    After five or six listenings I couldn't erase the feeling of totally being immersed in a flat and dull project. Lyrics are usual 'depressed and hurt' unoriginal type of thing, melodies are too few interesting. Most of the time I found them just    I am sure that I will attract a number of detractors and haters as a result of this review. However this is what I thought about this album.
    After five or six listenings I couldn't erase the feeling of totally being immersed in a flat and dull project. Lyrics are usual 'depressed and hurt' unoriginal type of thing, melodies are too few interesting. Most of the time I found them just noticeable but way too repetitive and uninspired to be kept in mind on long-term. You can only tell the difference between the songs by the melodies that characterize them. In all tracks we reluctantly dive in this incessant drums noise without any decent attractive rhythm. Emotions invoked during the project are absolutely not underlined by the instruments which are constantly raging and screaming for no appearant reason. There is not enough place for silence and experimentation. This all unfortunately feels commercial.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2015
23
#23 Most Discussed Album of 2015
35
#35 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Q Magazine
    Oct 6, 2015
    80
    That's The Spirit will make them mainstream stars, no question. [Nov 2015, p.104]
  2. Classic Rock Magazine
    Oct 6, 2015
    80
    With That’s The Spirit, they’ve hit a new direction and a creative peak that finally matches their thirst for fame and fortune.
    Read full review
  3. AllMusic
    Sep 30, 2015
    80
    By entering the mainstream one limb (album) at a time, Bring Me the Horizon are merely reaping what they've sown, and longtime fans should already feel acclimated to the water.
    Read full review
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