Bring Me The Horizon on the race for Number One and “emotional” new music

Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes has spoken to NME about the “surprise” of being in the running for this week’s Number One album, as well as sharing what to expect from their “emotional” new material in the pipeline.

The Sheffield metal titans released ‘POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR’ back in October 2020, the first in a series of EPs to come as part of their ‘POST HUMAN’ project. Now, the physical release of the record on vinyl, CD and cassette this week sees them in the running for the Number One album spot, trailing just 103 sales behind dance duo Bicep’s second album ‘Isles’.

• ON THE COVER: Bring Me The Horizon: “I’m like everyone else: confused, scared and angry”

After Sykes previously told NME that they were less concerned about reaching Number One with this record (like they did with last album ‘Amo‘), the frontman has now said that he’s been slightly taken aback by the new chart position.

“It’s a little unexpected, but it’s cool,” Sykes told NME. “When we released the record last year it was just digitally, and one of the reasons for me was to avoid this whole debacle! We didn’t really give a fuck about where it charts, but as soon as it becomes a possibility then everyone wants it – management, the record label – and you can’t help but want it a little bit yourself for the sheer ego of it. According to this game that you have to play, it doesn’t matter if your last record sold more but got to Number Two, it’s better to sell less records and get to Number One.

“I don’t know if it’s just a testament to what a dire state the charts are in, but it’s cool! It’s not that I don’t care about it, it’s more about the negative energy and disappointment when things don’t go your way. I didn’t want this, but it feels like a cop-out to not try and get it now. I’m practicing getting prepared for things not going our way, and that being fine.”

While thanking their fans for their dedication, Sykes said that he felt they had rewarded it with the effort that they’ve put into the new physical version of the record – which he said now feels more like an album to them than the EP it was originally intended to be.

“To us it’s ended up feeling more like an album,” he said. “Songs like ‘Kingslayer’ and ‘1×1’ have become some of our most popular songs. Looking ahead to our tour, we’re probably going to have to play all the songs from the record.

“This one is the start of a new chapter, and for that reason it feels like it wants to be more substantial. We went, ‘Let’s just give this one everything’ – and it’s set a path for the rest of the records to come.”

As for more material from the ‘POST HUMAN’ project, Sykes said that songs would be coming in due course but it could be a while before another full EP arrives.

“We’re just beginning really,” he told NME. “We’re actually working on parts two, three and four simultaneously and working on ideas from all the records. There’s a good chance that we might release songs from each before we release the next record.

“We’ll get songs out as soon as we can. You won’t have to hold your breath for too long. In terms of an actual record, I’d like to wait until we’ve toured this year. We’ve got so much to play from ‘Survival Horror’ that if we try to release another record before that then it’ll be like, ‘What the fuck do we play?’ I’d like to sample a bit of all three of the new records before one comes out, just so everyone gets an idea of what they’re going to sound like.”

After working with Yungblud, Nova Twins, BABYMETAL and Evanescence’s Amy Lee on ‘SURVIVAL HORROR’, Sykes promised another wide-ranging and eclectic mix of collaborators on the music to come – as well as a more positive and “higher” sound.

“We’ve literally started working on one song from the record, and whether that’s any good or will stay I don’t know,” he said. “Part one was very heavy and quite dark. For me, it all feels like a very low-frequency energy. It took a lot out of me and I don’t think I could do it again – not straight away, anyway. The next record is going to be emotional in a different way, it just has to be. ‘Emotional’ is the word, with higher emotions. Not necessarily happier.

“Survival Horror’ was a call to arms record that didn’t necessarily answer any questions. It was just gathering people who felt anxious, angry and paranoid. This second record should be about trying to answer those questions – what do we do to feel better? What do we do to make things right?”

Sykes added: “Creatively, it’s great because it means anything we can happen and we can go anywhere we want.”

‘POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR’ is out now. Bring Me The Horizon are due to embark on a lengthy UK arena tour in September.