On October 30, 2006, five teenagers walk into a Birmingham studio with a deadline breathing down their necks. The British band Bring Me the Horizon are about to record their debut album, and several songs still need to be written. They have two days.
Release dates and singles
The album Count Your Blessings arrived in the UK on the Visible Noise label on October 30, 2006. Its title came from a line in the opening track, 'Pray for Plagues'. The sound was deathcore, with elements of melodic death metal and metalcore, and the band wanted it as heavy and brutal as possible. The American release followed a different path. Count Your Blessings reached the United States on August 14, 2007, through Earache Records. By then the band had already put out the single 'Pray for Plagues' in June of that year, and a second single, 'For Stevie Wonder's Eyes Only (Braille)', appeared in March 2008.
The recording process at DEP International Studios with producer Dan Sprigg was intense. Most members laid down their parts separately rather than playing together, and every member was under 20 years old. Oliver Sykes, the vocalist, later described the experience as intense. The band also looked beyond Sweden for inspiration. Norma Jean, Metallica, Pantera and In Flames were among the other influences that shaped the album's aggressive direction.
Writing under deadline pressure
The rush shaped the record. With the deadline approaching, the writing of several songs took only two days. The band drew inspiration from Swedish metal, especially At the Gates, and pushed for maximum heaviness. That urgency became the album's defining character.
The UK Albums Chart placed Count Your Blessings at number 93, while the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart saw it reach number 9. Reviewers praised the instrumentation and intensity but criticized the monotony and production. AllMusic gave it 2.5 out of 5, noting a lack of originality. Not every critic was lukewarm. Terrorizer gave the album 7 out of 10, while Chronicles of Chaos went higher with 8.5 and singled out Oliver Sykes's vocals for praise. The band also toured in support of the record alongside Abigail Williams, Lostprophets and Killswitch Engage, taking the rushed debut onto bigger stages.
Guitarist Lee Malia was already criticizing the album's quality by 2008. Most of the songs gradually vanished from the band's live setlists. Yet the record endured: in 2021, Revolver included it in a list of 15 essential deathcore albums. A few songs had a longer shelf life than the rest. 'Pray for Plagues' briefly returned to the setlists near the end of 2014. The Hot Topic edition of the album included a cover of Slipknot's 'Eyeless' as a bonus track, a version originally recorded for a free Kerrang! CD in June 2007. Music videos for 'Pray for Plagues' and 'For Stevie Wonder's Eyes Only (Braille)' were directed by Kenny Lindström and Perrone Salvatore.
Two decades later, Bring Me the Horizon announced a re-recording for the album's 20th anniversary, titled Count Your Blessings | Repented. The new version was released on July 10, 2026, giving the rushed teenage debut a second life. The re-recording came with fresh material as well. Two singles preceded the new version: 'Black & Blue' on June 12 and 'Dehumanized' on June 25. 'Dehumanized' was a new bonus track written specifically for the re-recording, adding another layer to the anniversary release.
The original Count Your Blessings remains a key release for the deathcore genre, even as the band moved far away from that sound. The re-recording closes a circle: the same songs, now played by musicians who no longer need to race a deadline.