It's staggering to think that this five piece from Brighton are a band who, since 2006, has released a total of four full length albums and an EP. This, combined with the fact that front man Sam Carter is a mere 21 years of age must leave those with even a basic knowledge of this industry fairly gob smacked.
After working their socks off day in day out with a relentless touring and recording schedule with some of the biggest names in the hardcore and metal scene for the best part of five years, it is now fair to say that their hard work is truly paying off. Indeed, it has been hard to find a rock music magazine over the last couple of months that hasn't devoted either a cover shoot or an expansive article to them. The buzz for Architects has now reached a level that has not been seen from a metal or hardcore band since the boom in popularity that their mates in Bring Me the Horizon and Parkway Drive felt back in 2007. But don't get the wrong in idea, Architects are not simply some hype band, their gradual rise in success has most definitely been warranted through hard work and perseverance. What's more impressive about this band is the level of determination they have shown through the trials and tribulations of having little promoting in an over crowded genre, while touring continent to continent in a van, barely affording a decent meal each day; all in the name of building a still slowly developing fan base.
Without a doubt these boys have experienced a lot and their growth is best illustrated by their ever increasing ambitiousness. Their ability to write albums on a near yearly basis has shown a surprising desire and ability to evolve and explore different styles, and this latest offering: 'The Here and Now' is without a doubt their most experimental yet.
The record opens with a definite winner in the form of 'Day in Day Out'. Sam's cocktail of hard core screams is mixed artfully with his new fondness for anthemic and melodic choruses. It sets up for the catchiest song of the record and a tune that you can be sure will go down a storm at a live show. 'Learn to Live' follows on a similar plane and is a tune that really typifies the way this band has evolved. One of the catchiest without a doubt while again demonstrating how these guys can really write a song with a structure where no given minute resembles much in the way that the previous minute did. It goes from melodic choruses with a classic metal-core riff, to a melodic breakdown, tied together with a mighty hardcore thrash, all blended together into as little as four minutes.
On one of the shortest tracks of the album: 'Delete, Rewind', Sam's lyrics could be interpreted as a message spoken on behalf of the hundreds of new upcoming bands on the daily struggle that Architects are finally managing to shake themselves from. They are addressed as the "miss-guided youth" young artists who are exploited and "pushed to the limit" by those who "we shouldn't trust", which presumably means people in the industry who prey on unstable bands with the pure intent of make money off them. Sam Carter (vocals) has mentioned in interview that this is meant to be an album that represents a more up-beat vibe. Although there seems to be plenty in the way of frustration, that this band are trying to get off their chests in this album, the sheer energy and aggression, fuelled by the catchiest choruses they've written yet can certainly be seen as a positive way for the Brighton lads to communicate such feelings.
A refreshing addition to the favoured metal-core sound is the presence of added production on some digitally enhanced drum tracking that finishes 'Delete, Rewind' and forms the intros to 'An Open Letter to Myself' as well as 'Red Eyes'. Its features like this which will undoubtedly raise some eye brows amongst their hard core fan base. But for anyone who cares to think of what implications that are carried by the presence of these new methods of song structuring, with anthemic clean choruses that add a melodic touch, or these tasty areas of production on the record, you can see that Architects are really trying to separate themselves form the rest of the competition and push their creativity. A song that takes this new principle to a whole other level though is baffling appearance of acoustics on the most clean cut and emotional songs of the record: 'Heartburn'. Not exactly a key track to the album but it's a brave attempt at something few bands of their genre have tried as of yet, and perhaps sounding a tad awkward on an album that will be picked up mostly by young metal fans, it is still executed with fair conviction.
However, all this talk of melodic song writing and clean vocals on the record should not discourage the more traditionalist fans of this genre. Tracks like 'Btn' and 'Stay Young Forever' pack plenty of raw hardcore punch, particularly the latter with the aide of Comeback Kid's lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld. His blood curdling screams combined with some fiercely technical riffs makes the 3 minute duration of this song storm past as if it were half that length.
Meanwhile, it's the two finishing tracks of this album that bring it to its bizarre conclusion. Firstly there's a brief guest appearance from throttling vocals of Dillinger's Greg Puciato on the penultimate track 'Year in Year Out'. When anyone hears even a peep of Greg on any song, the listener can't be blamed for jumping to the conclusion that said track will be the most brutal on offer. But quite surprisingly again, this is another track that proves to be a mixed bag. Opening on a similar note to its predecessor, Carter and Puciato take turns to scream the message home, and the thrashy style of the Architects reminiscent of previous records continues until another the song halts for breath and a break down at 2 and a half minutes. Then suddenly your headphones are again made to feel the torment of another episode of chaotic hardcore. But it's in the final 2 minutes of this track that Sam comes back accompanied with what sounds like Spanish guitars tuned to a style that makes you fathom the gloomiest wild west theme you ever heard. The Drums beat on as if following a marching band and you are left with Sam's dyeing vocals. At over 7 minutes in length this is the longest song Architects have ever, and perhaps will ever write, but it's again a welcoming taste of something different.
The final track, a remix of 'Day in Day Out' by little known producer Big Chocolate, is literally the last thing any Architects fan would expect to hear, and for anyone without an appreciation for the more obscure styles of dub and electronica, its a track that seems analytically impossible to shed light on. Best judge this one for yourself I reckon. Overall though, this is an album that bubbles with the confidence and ambition that on previous records Architects have been lacking in. It walks you down paths that lesser artists of the metal-core scene wouldn't dare tread and is a clear and exciting indication that Sam and the lads are up for the challenge of pushing themselves artistically as much as they can, which when done well, can only be applauded. Although not every track is a stone cold winner, there is plenty to get you coming back for more and leave you wondering, what will they do next? More of the same I hope and lets have something that pushes them even further, hats off to them!
Stereoboard Album Rating: 7/10
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Without a doubt these boys have experienced a lot and their growth is best illustrated by their ever increasing ambitiousness. Their ability to write albums on a near yearly basis has shown a surprising desire and ability to evolve and explore different styles, and this latest offering: 'The Here and Now' is without a doubt their most experimental yet.
