ARCHITECTS
by Andrew Mackenzie
Released February 26, 2021
This album has been a long time coming it is now here
Architects are a British metalcore band from Brighton, East Sussex, formed in 2004 by twin brothers Dan and Tom Searle. The band now consists of Dan Searle on drums, Sam Carter on vocals, Alex Dean on bass, and Adam Christianson and Josh Middleton on guitars. They have been signed to Epitaph Records since 2013.
This is their 9th studio album which came out on 26th Feb 2021 and an album I’ve been looking forward to. As a Music photographer, I was able to have architects as the first big headliner id ever shot back in March 2008, and funnily enough, my favourite shot was of their guitarist Tom Searle who passed away in 2016 I edited that picture ( see below) to fuck and still one I’m proud off. Although I’m a fan of architects I didn’t realize they had brought out 9 studio albums inc this one. My favourite albums would be their last two; Holy Hell and All are God’s Have Abandoned Us.
I sat at work last night and listened to an Architects special On BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show. It was a playthrough of the album with drummer Dan and vocalist Sam and all the components of the album and who was on this album. As I listened to it properly, I got shivers as a whole it’s a phenomenal album.
The album starts off with this immense industrial, sound but the strings and orchestra sections lift the first track it’s a great opening to what is to come with one of their released single’s ‘Black lungs’ next which almost carries on the industrial heavy vibe, you get to hear sam just let rip with these vocals which just blew me away this album is something different from their others.
this kinda continues with ‘Giving Blood’
‘Discourse is Dead’ takes a heavier tone yet you have great little electronic sections with an electronic midsection which lead up to the last half of this track which takes an almost atmospheric choir sound and ending very solidly. ‘Dead Butterflies’ is a track with again this orchestral sound layer. complimenting the boy’s sound with a great chord progression and energy from both Sam and Dan in this track.
‘Impermanence’ is one of three tracks with a featured artist. This one has Winston Mccall from Parkway Drive the track is as intense as those before it and Winston seems to add a layer to the song that gives the already heavy element an upgrade. ‘ Flight without feathers ‘ is a very electronic subtle sound probably the softest sound on the album, but great as sams vocals are strong in a storytelling style.
The electronic style is a constant through this album ‘Little wonder’ is a more upbeat track and less intense yet has this industrial feel to it. If I didn’t see that it had Mike Kerr in this track I wouldn’t of known listening that he was, as the vocals seem to blend through it and you don’t have, like with most a separate section for the featured artist.
‘Animals’ the first single the boys brought out for this album and Fans love it! with this heavy thudding industrial, Rammstein sound yet as said before electronic production is a big part, vocally brilliant and powerful The breakdown has this almost nuclear apocalyptic sound. and probably one of my favorites of the album.
‘Goliath’ is a track that starts of with a great kick and the track feels faster paced than the others as the featured artist ‘Simon Niel’ – Biffy Clyro brings his intensity to the track and the first time I’ve ever heard him sound so heavy and even scream in a track. I can imagine him in the studio just letting loose and loving every second of recording his section.
The last three tracks ‘Demi God’, ‘Meteor’ and ‘Dying is absolutely safe’ all three have different sounds to them Demigod is more chilled, Meteor is the last heavy track on the album and ‘Dying is absolutely safe’ is a great final track with this orchestral acoustic sound with vocals that are trying to tell us to sort out our lives.
This album as a whole is an amazing piece of music and the boys are so amazed at the love it has gotten with two no1’s in the first week and great worldwide success. This will go into my albums of 2021 and I can’t wait to have them back on the live stage again so that their fans can really take this new album in on a face-to-face level as we all know that hearing an album recorded and live are two amazing things.
Architects have set out some dates for upcoming shows (hopefully these will go ahead) and you can find these and more on the links below.
