Shadow Moses (Bring Me the Horizon song)

"Shadow Moses"
Single by Bring Me the Horizon
from the album Sempiternal
Released 14 January 2013
Genre Melodic metalcore, post-hardcore
Length 4:05
Label RCA
Writer(s) Oliver Sykes, Lee Malia, Jordan Fish
Producer(s) Terry Date
Bring Me the Horizon singles chronology
"Alligator Blood"
(2011)		 Shadow Moses
(2013)		 "Sleepwalking"
(2013)
Music video
'Shadow Moses' on YouTube

"Shadow Moses" is a single by metalcore band Bring Me the Horizon, and is the sixth track from their fourth studio album Sempiternal. It is the first single released with newest member Jordan Fish and without former guitarist Jona Weinhofen.

Release

The song was debuted on BBC Radio 1 on 4 January 2013, to give fans a taste of the upcoming album.[1][2] The single was officially released on 14 January 2013, made available for purchase on iTunes.[3] The song reached № 82 on the UK Singles Chart and № 2 on the UK Rock Singles Chart.[4]

Composition

The song starts with a "haunting opening", with Oli Sykes providing the songs introductory lines “Can you tell from the look in our eyes / We’re going nowhere / We live our lives and we’re ready to die / We’re going nowhere.”[1] It also contains the bands heavy signature guitar riffs, creating an aggressive and brutal sound throughout the song after its introduction.[1][5] The song also features Sykes new vocal ability, opposed to his previous efforts.[6]

The song features usage of the Drop A# tuning (C G D# A# F A#), with a palm-muted riff at the beginning of the song. In live shows, the crowd is often told to sing the line, "This is Sempiternal!" by Oliver Sykes.

The song's title is a reference to the location of the same name in the video game Metal Gear Solid. The vocal arrangement at the beginning and ending of the song is also a reference to the song The Best is Yet to Come, which appears on the game's soundtrack.[7]

Critical reception

The song was received well by critics. Artist Direct gave the song a 4.5/5 star rating, praising the bands new direction in their music, calling it a masterwork. Loudwire called the song infectious and also praised the bands new musical direction, but continued to applaud the band as they maintained their signature sounds.[1]

Music video

On 22 January 2013, the band released a music video for "Shadow Moses" directed by Fabian Röttger of A Nice Day Everyday.[8] The video was filmed along the shorelines off Rügen, the largest island in Germany, during foggy and snowy weather. It was filmed in this weather because it takes after the song’s lyrical theme of “going nowhere” and creates an abstract and fragmented narrative.[9][10] Throughout the entire video, it uses a technique called the “camera – shift technique”, which provides a 3D like effect without the need to wear glasses or use a special screen. The videos plot line continued into the music video for Sleepwalking.[9][10] After the videos release, it was named "Video of the Year" by the Music Video Directors Association.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Childers, Chad. "Bring Me the Horizon Premiere New Single ‘Shadow Moses’". Loudwire.com. Loudwire. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  2. ↑ Ableson, Jon. "Bring Me The Horizon Releasing New Single "Shadow Moses" On Friday". AlterThePress.com. Alter The Press!. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Bring Me the Horizon To Release 'Shadow Moses' Single Next Week". BlabberMouth.com. BlabberMouth. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  4. ↑ Kruger, Henno. "Friday Loud: Bring Me The Horizon – Shadow Moses". RWRant.com. RWRant. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Stream Bring Me the Horizon's New Song "Shadow Moses"". PureVolume.com. PureVolume. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Bring Me The Horizon "Shadow Moses" Song Review — 4.5 out of 5 stars". ArtistDirect.com. Artist Direct. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Bring Me The Horizon". Exclaim. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "Bring Me the Horizon: 'Shadow Moses' Video Released". BlabberMouth.com. BlabberMouth. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Bring Me the Horizon unveil stunning new video for “Shadow Moses”". Epitah.com. Epitah. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Bring Me the Horizon Release "Shadow Moses" Music Video". PureVolume.com. Pure Volume. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "Bring Me The Horizon's Shadow Moses dominates first Music Video Directors Association Awards". Hollywood.com. Hollywood.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)

External links