Bring Me the Horizon Drop Heavy New Song ‘Parasite Eve’
Bring Me the Horizon are all about the art of the tease. The genre-fluid group gave advance notice of their new song, "Parasite Eve," which is out now, as well as the prospect of multiple new records. Singer Oli Sykes has clarified the band's ambitions, stating that all four record are planned for the next year and will all be billed under the Post Human title.
In an interview with NME, Sykes explained that "Parasite Eve" is a song he had been working on since last year, originally inspired by a Japanese superbug that had adapted to be heat resistant as a result of climate change. When the pandemic hit, the themes connected in an unexpected way and the song, which features a title lifted from a PlayStation video game, was put on temporarily put on ice.
“We shelved the song for a bit because it felt bit too close to the bone," Sykes confessed, going on to state, "After sitting on it for a while, we realized that this was a reason to release it now more than ever. In our music we’ve always wanted to escape, but there’s been too much escapism and ignoring the problems in the world. It’s not what the world needs. The world needs more and needs to think about it and remember. You can’t just brush over it and expect life to go back to normal, because it fucking ain’t. In so many ways, we need to change. That’s what rock music is about – addressing the dark side and processing it."
Listen to "Parasite Eve" further down the page.
The frontman alluded to the idea that a pandemic or some other sort of cataclysmic event was inevitable. "This is a moment we all knew was coming one day, but maybe not in our lifetime. Look at the Black Lives Matter protests too. It felt like we were making progress and people were standing up to injustice, but maybe we got too complacent because it’s still happening. It’s time to be pissed off. It’s not the time to say, ‘These days shall pass’ and ‘everything will be okay’, because it won’t fucking be okay unless we fucking do something about it," Sykes affirmed.
Detailing how Bring Me the Horizon have been writing while in quarantine, sheltering from the pandemic. "Now we’re going to make four different records over the next year and they’ll all share the name Post Human," revealed Sykes, who elaborated, "They’ll each be tonally different with their own sound and mood. That’s one thing we’ve never really done. There’s often been an over-arching theme on our records, but the music has always felt like a collage. That’s cool and I like it, but sometimes you want a soundtrack for a certain occasion and emotion."
For fans who have missed the aggression of Bring Me the Horizon's pre-That's The Spirit era, there's no need to worry — Sykes has already proclaimed, "2020 is the year of the guttural."
As for what the Post Human title means, the singer offered, "The idea behind Post Human is looking at how we’ve stepped out of evolution and the food chain. If we can do that, then we can take responsibility for what we’ve done to the planet and become something better than what humans are right now."
There's no concrete release schedule for more new music, but Sykes did vow that the band would be releasing songs with more regularity following the debut of "Parasite Eve." The singer said he's open to collaborated with electronic artists and releasing those tracks as they come as well.
Who knows? After Bring Me the Horizon dressed like the Spice Girls at an awards show, maybe we'll even be treated to a cover of the iconic pop group.
Read the lyrics to "Parasite Eve" here and watch the music video further below.
I've got a fever, don't breathe on me
I'm a believer of nobody
Won't let me leave 'cause I've seen something
Hope I don't sneeze, I don't...Really we just need to fear something
Only pretending to feel something
I know you're dying to run
I want to turn you aroundPlease remain calm
The end has arrived
We cannot save you, enjoy the ride
This is the moment you've been waiting for
Don't call it a warning
This is warIt's the Parasite Eve
Got a feeling in your stomach, 'cause you know that it's coming for you
I leave your flowers and grieve
Don't forget what they told you
When we forget the infection
Will we remember the lesson
If the suspense doesn't kill you
Something else willMove
Bring Me the Horizon, "Parasite Eve"
See Bring Me the Horizon in the 66 Best Rock Songs of the Decade: 2010 - 2019