“No betting on tomorrow, but we all love the tragedy. Come drown in our sorrow, and see the world as it ‘ought to be.”
I’m certainly no stranger to UK metalcore giants Architects, I’m sure most of you reading this are no stranger as well. Whether you’re a Hollow Crown fan, an All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us enjoyer, or any of their other immensely influential records, it seems over their lengthy career they’ve made music for every listener. I got into Architects just before their release of All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (my own personal favorite record ever made) in 2016. Persevered through the highly addictive, yet perfect emotional pain of Holy Hell, and spun the hell out of their previous record, the ever-grandiose yet gloomy For Those That Wish to Exist, I find myself on the precipice of their 10th LP the classic symptoms of a broken spirit.
The first taste of the new record came with the single “when we were young“, which unfortunately left me feeling underwhelmed, given just how fantastic their previous 4 records were. The song isn’t bad by any means, I’m sure it hits different live as I’ve been told. Architects have stripped back the orchestral elements that made For Those That Wish to Exist so triumphant and massive, causing the new era of Architects to begin on the wrong foot. The album announcement came with the single “tear gas“, the chorus felt much more impactful than the previous single, yet all other aspects of the song were still missing that emotional edge that I had become addicted to with them. Hope was slightly restored with the third single “deep fake“, melodically addictive for me, with fun synths and instrumentals that compliment this new approach much better than the previous two singles. Finally, the final single called “a new moral low ground” was released, which entirely brought my hype back. The chorus, the heavy/faster verses, and that eerie bridge make it out to be their best single for the record, as well as one I can see most of their fans enjoying. I had hope back, yet the damage had already been done. Before diving into the entirety of the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, I had already known it would be impossible to live up to previous expectations.
The first non-single on the new LP is “spit the bone“, one that I could already see being many people’s least favorite Architects track in years. I don’t mind it, its nothing remarkable, it is very obvious this is written for stadiums and would probably translate much better live. One thing I love about this track is vocalist Sam Carter brings back the iconic “blegh” on it, as to say “fuck you” to all those who so persistently bother them about it. It is absolutely fucking hilarious, and I praise them for just how unapologetic it is. Following track “burn down my house“, slows the pacing of the record to give a moment of reprieve. At first, this track did nothing for me, yet over time it grew to be one of my favourites. It’s slow, grungy, depressing, and very different for the group. Supported by an atmosphere that might give some kind of Deftones mixed with My Chemical Romance vibes, I could be way off on that but the xylophone at the end just screams MCR.
Next up is “living is killing us“, unfortunately the main thing that sticks with me on this track is how similar this chorus sounds to the chorus on “Animals” from FTTWTE. Albeit, the bridge has an eeriness to it that is the standout moment on the track. One of my favourite tracks on the record though is “doomscrolling” and melodically speaking it is ridiculously catchy. I can already see the crowds singing this chorus louder than band, one meant for massive stadiums and plays on repeat. If this is the route they want to go in the future, I am certainly okay with more songs like “doomscrolling“. For the most part, the next track “born again pessimist” leaves me indifferent. The chorus is just okay, there’s a cool The Here and Now reference, other than that the standout part of this track is easily the breakdown before the final chorus.
Nearing the end of the record now, “all the love in the world” is decent, but again nothing remarkable. It leaves me wondering how this song would translate in a live setting, with its stadium-brand “woah-ohs,” this song was meant to be played in stadiums, but it doesn’t have that driving factor for me that tracks like “doomscrolling” and “a new moral low ground” have for me. The closer “be very afraid“, starting out much faster and aggressive than most of the record, I know immediately this will definitely be one most enjoy. I’m a big fan of the traditional closer, or as I like them to be, a collective representation of the sonic atmosphere created throughout the record. Though this song is good, and I’m sure most will enjoy it, it doesn’t feel like a closer.
Whether we like it or not, bands need to evolve. They need to take risks to further their careers, as well as keep their creative ambitions alive to make the best music they can. I’m sure it would be easier for Architects to make another record that sounds like their previous works, but would it really hold a candle to how genuine those previous records were? No. Many of their fans may be underwhelmed, thrown off guard, or even down-right pissed that they went down this new route with the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, but they made the right choice in pursuing the more challenging route for themselves as artists. I doubt many will consider the classic symptoms of a broken spirit their favorite Architects record, but it is still a good record for what it is, and I look forward to seeing where the roads may take Architects next.
6.5/10
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