Hollow Crown [CD]

Architects are a relatively new band for me - I'd heard the name bandied around and caught snippets of previous release, Ruin - and although this is their third album, it's undoubtedly the one the band will most want you to hear. Theirs is a punishing, unrelenting take on metalcore with flourishes of Converge-style atmosperics, bludgeoning beats and a smattering of soaring, cleanly sung vocal lines. There's innovation aplenty, and a real sense of ambition, and it's this combination, coupled with the conviction with which they deliver the whole thing, that carries Hollow Crown into the realms of something special - both within its genre and beyond. Difficult to pick any stand-out tracks as such, this is an album best listened to in its entirety. That is, if you have the required endurance levels...

Brutal, ear-splitting exhiliration.

Matt Pucci

From the outset you'll get the brutal bflat gallops and Sam Carters gutteral screams. As you'd expect, there is no shortfall in heavy high tempo metal slightly tinged with a technical element quickly becoming the style that all young bands are trying to aspire to. The thing that the takes the music in a new direction is the fusion of some incredibly sweet, almost ethereal melodies, be it vocally or atmospheric through guitar and underlying key section.

Anyway. On with a breakdown of the album.

1. Early Grave - it's quite apparent the guys have once again released an album with an opener that conveys everything that's going to follow. Heavy riffs, stop start guitar licks, high end tech with a few sweeps and shreddy lines, melodic vocals. 10/10
2. Dethroned - definately an ode to the sound which they presented on nightmares and ruins with lots of discord. Stop starty. Beautiful vocals throughout, this is the track that has you realize how incredible Sam is switching from screamy vocals to soft melodies. 9/10
3. Numbers Count For Nothing - primarily a song for the drummers out there. Blast beats, tech kick techniques in places. The guitars continue the crazy lines. 8/10
4. Follow The Water - song of the album for me. Nothing but stabby guitar throughout. Drums lock down the timings of everything, without them you'd get lost...I mean LOST. The ending to this song is the anthemic chorus that'll make every listener fall flat on their back in disbelief. Very rarely can 'metal' strip all it's components back and present you with sheer beauty. It's been done on this track. 10/10
5. In Elegance - more the easy listener track. Slightly slow tempo track. Melody is the main focus her, plenty vocally, guitars are taken away from the chug and given plenty of lead lines offen harmonized. Fantastic stand out track. 9/10
6. We're All Alone - for a nightmares fan. Incredibly dark and quite disgusting in it's uptake before it settles itself on the sweet off signature guitar hook. Mix in some incredible vocals. The most climatic song. 7/10
7. Borrowed Time - straight metal (no core ;)). Highest tempo on the record. Norma jean have their now-famous "like bringing a knife to a gunfight". Architects have found their soon-to-be eponymous line... Listen and you'll know what I mean. 8/10
8. Every Last Breath - the next track to keep you fully engaged. Fast riffs. The melodic sections are quite harmonic sounding. Allthough melodic musically, the vocal element never strays from the throaty scream until the end, where the delay trill-picked guitar leads it to a truly awe inspiring finish. (spot the misery signals fan) 9/10
9. One If These Days - knowing that the end quarter of a record is where the listeners attention is quickly falling away. It's vital that a band puts forth an absolute gem. This is balls-to-the-wall metal. Nothing more nothing less. 9/10
10. Dead March - brutal tech riff throughout. Drums are so tight. Vocals make that sweet transition from deep growl to dry melody. 8/10
11. Left With A Last Minute - still keeping you engaged is the main priority of architects. This song strips it all back and gives you a song very bass heavy. The breakdown seldom seen on a record by these guys is released and has the ability to kill. 9/10.
12. Hollow Crown - think the end of "hours" by funeral for a friend - alvarez. This is beautiful. Delay and reverb on EVERYTHING. Records are made so that endings can be the climax that this is. The main difference is the fact that architects keep you in your seat the entire duration is incredible. 10/10

13. To The Death (2008) - remake of nightmares flagship track. Deeper...different. I like it, and I don't. The nightmares version is untouchable in my eyes. If this was the first time hearing it I would give it ten out of ten, but knowing it's original form it's with great hesitance that I like it.

Fantastic album. 9.5/10

Architects have well and truly outdone themselves this time.
They've created a huge, anthemic, brutal, emotionally uncompromising album that could well go down with the greats of metalcore (Converge - Jane Doe, Botch - We Are The Romans, etc)

Every single member of the band has stepped up their game to a huge degree.
Sam's vocals are the most obvious improvement, and he's the glue that holds this album together. People have noted his near one pitch scream as a flaw for the most part, but the one pitch he's chosen is the perfect one to convey what he's trying to say. He sounds like a man on the edge, very reminiscent of Jacob Bannon at times, maybe not in sound, but certainly in feel. There's a whole lot of emotion and passion in Sam's vocals, and no pretenses. Just sheer, brutally honest emotional expression.
The guitar parts are much less technical this time around, but this is definately not to their detriment. The songwriting has improved to no end as a result of less gratuitous technicality. Where the songwriting on their first 2 albums was mostly average, Hollow Crown is nigh on perfectly written from start to finish, there's barely a note out of place.
There's plenty of variation too. They go from beating BMTH at their own game with chugs and dischords in certain tracks, and they reach heights of Meshuggah-ish glory on a few tracks, such as the opener and first single: Early Grave.

Reading's Outhouse studio has its sonic signature all over this album too. The mix is truly a feast for the ears. Maybe a bit too much clipping induced during mastering, but the album's breakneck agression is definately ramped up by the productioon.

To sum it up, this album is one of the finest metalcore releases ever, and it shows that us Brits have still got it in us to be brutal.
10/10