It’s weirdly quiet at the start. Then that glitchy, distorted bass hits and you realize Bring Me The Horizon isn't interested in playing it safe anymore. If you've been following the rollout of POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, you know that the track Limousine Bring Me The Horizon (featuring the Norwegian pop-aurora borealis herself, AURORA) wasn't just another single. It was a statement. It’s heavy, but not in the way Suicide Season was heavy. It’s heavy like a wet wool blanket—suffocating, moody, and deeply reminiscent of 90s shoegaze and Deftones-core.
Fans were waiting for NeX GEn for what felt like a decade. When it finally dropped in May 2024 after a string of delays, "Limousine" immediately became the "did they really just do that?" track. Oli Sykes has this knack for pivoting just when you think you’ve pinned him down. One minute he’s screaming about wolves, the next he’s whispering over a trip-hop beat. This track is the apex of that identity crisis, and honestly, it’s brilliant.
The Deftones Influence is Real
You can’t talk about Limousine Bring Me The Horizon without mentioning Chino Moreno’s band. The DNA of White Pony is all over this thing. The slow, sludge-filled riffing isn't meant to make you mosh; it’s meant to make you sway in a dark room while feeling vaguely anxious. It’s a departure from the hyper-pop-metal chaos of tracks like "Amen!" or "Kool-Aid."
Lee Malia, the band’s guitarist, has always been the secret weapon. Here, he moves away from the technical shredding of their metalcore days and leans into atmosphere. The tone is thick. It’s muddy. It’s gorgeous.
The collaboration with AURORA is what seals the deal. Her voice is ethereal, almost haunting, which acts as a perfect foil to Oli’s grit. It’s a contrast that shouldn't work on paper. A metalcore titan and a Norwegian art-pop singer? It sounds like a recipe for a mess. Instead, they created something that feels like a fever dream.
Why the Shoegaze Pivot?
Music evolves. People change.
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If Bring Me The Horizon kept making Sempiternal clones, they’d be dead in the water by now. They know this. The "Limousine" vibe is part of a broader trend in the alternative scene where bands are looking back to the "loud-quiet-loud" dynamics of the 90s. It’s about texture. It’s about how the sound fills the space in your headphones.
Some old-school fans hated it. They wanted the breakdown. They wanted the "blegh." But the reality is that Limousine Bring Me The Horizon represents a band that is comfortable in its own skin. They aren't trying to prove they are the heaviest band in the world anymore. They’re trying to be the most interesting.
Deciphering the Lyrics and the Lore
Oli Sykes is a lyrical chameleon. In "Limousine," the imagery is bleak. It’s about obsession, the suffocating nature of fame, and perhaps a bit of self-destruction. The "limousine" itself feels like a metaphor for a gilded cage. You’re moving, you’re in luxury, but you can’t see out the tinted windows and no one can see in.
"And I'll be your limousine..."
It’s a service. It’s an objectification.
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AURORA’s contribution adds a layer of vulnerability that Oli alone couldn't achieve. When she sings, it feels like the internal monologue of the person trapped inside that metaphor. The production by Dan Lancaster and Zakk Cervini is surgically precise here, ensuring that even when the song gets loud, the emotional core isn't drowned out by the distortion.
The Production Secrets of NeX GEn
The album was a nightmare to finish. Jordan Fish, the band’s longtime keyboardist and a massive part of their sonic shift over the last decade, left the band during the process. This left a huge question mark over how the record would sound.
"Limousine" feels like the band reclaiming their "rock" roots while keeping the experimental edge.
- The drums are huge but processed.
- The bass is the lead instrument for most of the verses.
- The vocal layers are stacked high, creating a choral effect that feels massive.
It doesn't sound like a band struggling. It sounds like a band revitalized.
What This Means for the Future of Metal
The success of Limousine Bring Me The Horizon proves that the boundaries of "heavy" music have completely dissolved. We are in an era of genre-fluidity. You can have a song that is 50% metal, 30% shoegaze, and 20% pop and it can still top the charts.
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It’s also a testament to the power of the feature. AURORA wasn't just a guest; she was an essential component. This isn't the first time BMTH has done this—think about their tracks with Grimes or Babymetal. They are curation experts. They know who will push the song into a new dimension.
People are going to be dissecting this track for years. It’s not just a song; it’s a vibe check for the entire alternative scene. If you can’t get down with the sludge of "Limousine," you might get left behind as the genre continues to mutate into whatever comes next.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Playlist
To really appreciate what's happening in "Limousine," you have to look at the context. Don't just listen to it in isolation.
- Listen to the "influences" back-to-back. Put on Deftones' "Digital Bath" and then "Limousine." You’ll hear the conversation happening between the decades. It’s a masterclass in how to pay homage without straight-up ripping someone off.
- Watch the live performances. The band has been integrating these NeX GEn tracks into their sets, and the transition from their high-energy pop-punk tracks into the slow burn of "Limousine" is a lesson in setlist pacing.
- Pay attention to the stems. If you’re a producer or a musician, try to isolate the low end in this track. The way the sub-bass interacts with the kick drum is why the song feels so heavy despite the lack of traditional "heavy" riffs.
- Follow the AURORA rabbit hole. If you liked her voice here, her solo work is much more "Limousine" than you might think—dark, atmospheric, and deeply rhythmic.
The era of NeX GEn is far from over. As the band moves into the next phase of the POST HUMAN series, "Limousine" stands as a landmark. It’s the bridge between what they were and what they are becoming. It’s bold, it’s dark, and it’s exactly what the doctor ordered for a stagnant rock scene. Stop waiting for the breakdown and start enjoying the atmosphere. It’s worth the ride.