Bring Me The Horizon - Ludens (Single Review)

For as much as they've been tearing up the rulebook recently, I expected a more conventional sound to a song inspired by a video game - boy am I glad we didn't get it!

Back in January, Bring Me The Horizon released their sixth studio album in the experimental, genre-bending and critically acclaimed amo, a record that had some incredible highs when all the experimentation worked (why you gotta kick me in the ground; in the dark) and some unfortunate but expected misfires when it didn't (nihilist blues; sugar honey ice & tea). That said, the songs I do like are ones I've consistently revisited over the year, although how sonically inconsistent the album was as a whole has prevented me from listening to it as a whole body of work nearly as frequently. With the release of their latest song, they've announced their plan for 2020 is to replace their typical lengthy album format with briefer and more tonally consistent minialbums, with "Ludens" slated to be the lead single for the first of these.

The single featuring on the Death Stranding: Timefall album as a sort of companion piece to the game, and given how little time the band had to write and record this song to meet that deadline, I was honestly apprehensive and cautious going in for a first listen. That turned out to be unwarranted. From the slow, slightly familiar first verse I was pretty instantly hooked, the steady pulse of the drum beat helping to focus on Oli's syncopated flow and instantly provocative lyrics; the songwriting here is some of the band's best especially considering how rushed they were in its creation. That said, this is perhaps their most socially inspired song with the premise very much focused on the need for new leaders and new heroes, people making changes and not simply following a predetermined path like the majority always does. They're fed up of our stagnant, stale society, of Brexit and Boris and the lack of progression we've made and, given how many other people have viewed the same opinion in songs this year, on "Ludens" it comes across as a towering statement, propelled by heavy guitars and striking electronics.

It's definitely one of their most ambitious efforts, and I'm ecstatic to say the payoff is astounding - It feels like a combination of the best elements of previous albums Sempiternal and amo, and showcases some of the best writing of their career. I really hope this blend sticks around for a while, but I'm also excited to hear what more they have in store in 2020. For now, I'm more than content with this single, and "Ludens" gets an overall 9 out of 10 from me.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Catchiness: 4/5
Instrumentation: 5/5
Lyrics: 4/5
Production: 4/5

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"Ludens"

Bring Me The Horizon

6/11/2019

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