BRING ME THE HORIZON at PHX Arena
English rock band Bring Me the Horizon have made a steady progression from their death metal-inspired grindcore debut to melodic metalcore, maturing into a pop-savvy headline act by the end of their first decade together. With each release — from 2006’s caustic Count Your Blessings to 2013’s mainstream breakthrough Sempiternal — they dialed back the blood-curdling screams and injected more melody until capturing an alt-metal balance on their 2015 international chart-topping effort That’s the Spirit. By 2019’s Amo, they had incorporated elements of electronic and even hip-hop into their edgy, genre-blurring blend. In 2020 Bring Me the Horizon issued Post Human: Survival Horror, the first installment of an ambitious conceptual series. The follow-up, Post Human: NeX Gen, landed in 2024.
The group was formed in 2004 from the ashes of several Sheffield-based outfits, with the 2003 Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean serving as the inspiration for the band’s name. Singer Oliver Sykes, guitarists Lee Malia and Curtis Ward, bassist Matt Kean, and drummer Matt Nicholls initially established their own label, Thirty Days of Night, to release their debut EP, 2005’s This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For. Upon signing to the higher-profile label Visible Noise (whose roster also included Bullet for My Valentine and Lostprophets), they reissued the EP to a wider audience. Bring Me the Horizon’s full-length debut, Count Your Blessings, appeared in October 2006, with an American release following one year later courtesy of Epitaph Records.
With their second album, Suicide Season, Bring Me the Horizon moved in a more accessible direction and wound up cracking the U.K. album charts. Not everyone approved of the new sound, though, and Ward left the band in early 2009. His temporary replacement was Jona Weinhofen, formerly a member of I Killed the Prom Queen. Weinhofen ended up staying with the band and the group returned to the studio with producer Fredrik Nordström in March 2010 to begin work on a third album. The resulting There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep … was released during the latter half of 2010, several months after the band wrapped up their engagement with the Warped Tour.
A fourth album, the critically lauded Sempiternal, arrived on Epitaph in 2013, and peaked at number three on the U.K. albums chart. Around this time, Weinhofen parted ways with the band and was replaced by Jordan Fish for their next effort, which marked a stark departure from the sound they’d been honing since their debut. Released in 2015, the loosely conceptual That’s the Spirit saw the group dropping some of their metalcore tendencies in lieu of a more melodic, alt-metal approach, capturing mainstream ears with the singles “Happy Song,” “True Friends,” and “Avalanche.” Their highest-performing effort to date, the set topped charts across the globe, peaking in the Top Three in their native England and in the U.S. Riding the success of Spirit, the band staged an ambitious charity concert benefitting the Teenage Cancer Trust. Backed by the Parallax Orchestra and Simon Dobson, the group set their hits to orchestral backing on 2016’s Live at the Royal Albert Hall.
In the summer of 2018, Bring Me the Horizon continued down an increasingly experimental path with the mainstream-ready anthem “Mantra” and the surprisingly poppy “Medicine.” Both tracks landed on their sixth full-length effort, Amo, which was released in early 2019. Their first U.K. chart-topper, Amo incorporated electronic dance elements and trap production, featuring guest appearances by Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth), art-pop singer Grimes, and rapper Rahzel. As the band toured the globe, they joined a stacked roster of artists for the soundtrack to the video game Death Stranding, contributing the track “Ludens.” At the close of 2019, in addition to Amo receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album, the group issued a surprise project titled Music to Listen To…. The experimental foray dabbled in electronic atmospherics, ambient noise, and trip-hop, reimagining tracks from Amo in the process. Guests on the release include Halsey and Theresa Jarvis of Yonaka.
In early 2020, the band quarantined in their home studios during the COVID-19 pandemic to record their next effort, which was heavily influenced by global events. During the summer, they issued “Parasite Eve” and the industrial-tinged “Obey,” a collaboration with English upstart Yungblud. These tracks landed on 2021’s Post Human: Survival Horror, the first installment of a proposed multi-part EP series. In addition to the previously released singles, the set also included appearances by Babymetal (“Kingslayer”), Nova Twins (“1×1”), and Amy Lee of Evanescence (“One Day…”). The first taste of the follow-up, the more melodic and anthemic “DiE4u,” arrived that September. A string of high-profile collaborations marked the band’s 2022 output and included featured appearances with Ed Sheeran (“Bad Habits”), Machine Gun Kelly (“Maybe”), and Sigrid (“Bad Life”).
Continuing the lead-up to their proposed Survival Horror sequel, which was titled Post Human: NeX Gen, the band spent 2023 touring and releasing more singles, including “Lost,” “Darkside,” and “Amen!” with Daryl Palumbo (Glassjaw) and Lil Uzi Vert. At the end of the year, longtime keyboardist Fish left the band. Weeks later, the four-piece released “Kool-Aid,” the sixth offering from NeX Gen. After a brief delay, that sprawling effort finally arrived in May 2024, featuring additional guests Aurora and Underoath. The album tackled dark emotional themes and featured genre-blurring hyperpop flourish, pop-punk energy, glitchy electronic chaos, hardcore aggression, death growls, and pop choruses.
An industrial city situated in Northeastern Pennsylvania, you could say Scranton quietly prides itself on a tried-and-true Rust Belt blue-collar work ethic.
For their fourth full-length album and first for Roadrunner Records Graveyard Shift, Motionless In White—Chris Motionless [Vocals], Ricky Horror [Guitar], Ryan Sitkowski [Guitar], Ghost [Bass], and Vinny Mauro [Drums]—dug into the roots of their hometown’s pervasive attitude.
“We’re a band that came out of the small town blue-collar spirit,” affirms Chris. “We put ten years into growing this and working hard to do what we love the most. We look forward to putting in another ten. Both the area we come from and the fan base brought us to this point. Graveyard Shift is all about that work ethic. It’s been instilled in us. Early on, we realized if you give the time and effort to chase a dream, it’s possible to achieve it by the sheer amount of drive and passion you have.”
Since 2006, that ethos has fueled Motionless In White’s rise to the upper echelon of modern rock. Albums such as 2010’s Creatures and Infamous in 2012 would galvanize a rabid fan base around the quintet. During 2014, Reincarnate reached new heights, bowing at #9 on the Billboard Top 200 and claiming #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart. The title track and lead single turned into a Top 20 Active Rock smash and notched 13.2 million YouTube views and 9.8 million Spotify streams. Simultaneously, they have shared stages alongside everyone from Slipknot, Korn, and Breaking Benjamin to A Day To Remember and Marilyn Manson in addition to making arresting festival appearances at Warped Tour, Aftershock, Rock On The Range, Rock Allegiance, and beyond.
In 2016, they entered a Los Angeles studio with producer and longtime collaborator Drew Fulk [Emmure, Crown The Empire] to record what would become Graveyard Shift.
“It was all about writing bigger, better, and more refined songs,” exclaims the frontman. “On Reincarnate, we felt like we had discovered our true identity. This record wasn’t so much centered on experimentation as it was on refinement. In the past, I feel like I always placed the vocals second to music. This time, there was a focus on trying to make sure the vocals had their big moments. That was a major key in really making Graveyard Shift separate from all of the other albums. I haven’t really been able to look back at anything I would’ve done differently or something I didn’t feel like I put my whole heart into here. I just feel incredibly confident about everything on the record.”
Motionless In White introduced this latest body of work with the galloping gut punch of “570”—the area code of Scranton and something of an homage to home. In less than three months, it amassed 3.1 million Spotify streams and amplified anticipation for the full-length’s impending arrival.
“Last summer, I had the opportunity to meet with a lot of fans on Warped Tour and have some very intense, personal, and deep discussions,” recalls Chris. “I walked away from these meetings feeling energized. Whether the conversations were dark or uplifting, I was ready to approach anything in my way with how I felt afterwards. Our current single, ‘LOUD,’ is a direct result of that energy. I wanted to encourage people to feel the same way. It’s definitely one of the more powerful and inspirational messages on the album.”
Throughout its 12 tracks, Graveyard Shift weaves together various personal vignettes. From embracing one’s dark side on “Necessary Evil” [feat. Jonathan Davis] to the hypnotic and humorous ode to Danny Elfman’s influential body of work, “Not My Type (Dead As Fuck 2),” the record remains unpredictable at every turn. “Eternally Yours” signals a first for the group.
“It’s our first true love song,” Chris goes on. “There was a very poetic and romantic approach. That’s something, as a lyricist, I have been trying to explore more of within myself over the past few albums. It’s a special song for all of us.”
Scranton plays a subtle role in the overarching narrative itself. Chris can recall finding early inspiration in the city’s once fertile music scene, which slowly dissipated over the years. At the same time, he and his bandmates have transported that energy worldwide with Graveyard Shift.
“I like to think we’re taking our favorite traits of this area on the road and showing the rest of the world what Scranton created out of all that great camaraderie, those friendships, and the memories,” he says. “We all come from the same spot. It’s something I think many people all over the world can identify with. We’re not content to just sit still and let life happen. We want to show you can take the initiative, go out there, and make a difference for yourself. That rings throughout all of the songs and speaks to the true meaning of Graveyard Shift.”
Ultimately, Motionless In White have the power to electrify a new love for rock music in the process.
“We’re quite a simple band in terms of our intent,” he leaves off. “Turn off your head, detach from reality, listen to the music, and enjoy the songs. That’s what we’re encouraging. We want to give people something to latch on to away from life’s bullshit. I hope they walk away feeling their love for music was either restored or upheld.”
Through balancing even the most extreme dynamics, The Plot In You consistently overturn and upend expectations. On any given track, it might seem like they’re about to go one way, but the band will turn on a dime and shift course before the crowd can even catch a breath. This uncanny element of surprise has entrenched the gold-selling Ohio quartet—Landon Tewers [vocals], Josh Childress [guitar], Ethan Yoder [bass], and Michael Cooper [drums]—on the cutting edge of heavy music. Whether it be threads of alternative, electronic, pop, or R&B, nothing is off limits, and everything is fair game for their creative process. That process has continued to morph. Following a series of fan favorite releases, the band made major waves with DISPOSE [2018]. “FEEL NOTHING” surged on social media as a viral phenomenon, generating hundreds of millions of streams and picking up a gold certification from the RIAA. The musicians only maintained this momentum with Swan Song in 2021. Hysteria rated it “9-out-of-10.” Simultaneously, they sold out shows coast-to-coast. During 2023, the band kickstarted another era with Vol. 1. “Divide” generated 9 million Spotify streams right out of the gate followed by “Left Behind,” exploding to the tune of 15.9 million Spotify streams. Upon the arrival of “Forgotten,” Revolver praised it among the “6 Best New Songs Right Now.”
Los Angeles-based singer Amira Elfeky combines nu-metal influences, a brooding goth flair, and emotional songwriting into a hard-hitting but accessible rock sound. The Connecticut native moved to California where she started working on songs inspired by 1990s alternative rockers like Nirvana and early-2000s nu-metallers like Deftones and Linkin Park. She released her first songs in 2023, including “Tonight (demo)” and “Coming Down,” which quickly caused a stir and resulted in her getting signed by Anemoia Records, an imprint of Atlantic. In early 2024, Elfeky released her first EP, Skin to Skin.
Elfeky was born in Connecticut, started playing the violin at an early age, and was interested in every music class her school offered. At 15, she moved to the Bay Area and discovered grunge and nu-metal. Through a “drummer wanted” ad, she met Brandon Iljas, and the pair started working on songs in his San Francisco bedroom studio, but she wasn’t quite satisfied with the results. In Los Angeles, Elfeky had the opportunity to work and record in the home of Ian Hunter, founder of the Anemoia label, and she refined her blend of blurry Deftones-style alternative metal and the dramatic goth rock of Evanescence. After “Tonight (demo)” was released in mid-2023 and featured on a new songs playlist, she signed with the label and followed up with songs like “Coming Down” and “Everything I Do Is for You.” In February 2024, she released a cover of System of a Down‘s “Lonely Day.” Elfeky’s first EP, Skin to Skin, was released in March 2024 and featured the new single “A Dozen Roses.”