Architects - Hollow Crown
Release Date: January 26, 2009
Record Label: Century Media
I want more albums like this. Seriously, this is metalcore done with the utmost degree of style. Formerly, I'd written Architects off as a fairly standard approach to the metalcore scene, because, well, they kind of are. There's nothing they're doing that's really pushing the boundaries of the genre, but it's the fact that they do everything nearly perfectly that makes Hollow Crown such a powerful listen. They're not trying to use some gimmick that they think is a hook to change your mind. They're playing straight metalcore, and they're doing it as well as some of metalcore's best.
I can already here everyone screaming "but Andrew, image shouldn't come into account!" However, when so many bands have made their image a part of who they are, it's come to reason that they should be held accountable for it, and those that choose to pass on this should be commended for the same idea. The album artwork and air of the whole band actually add to my interest. With Architects, and Hollow Crown you're not getting bombarded by a constant stream of "scene-ness." The album artwork, myspace layout, etc, etc... all go with a fairly simplistic approach and aren't attempting to dazzle you with stylist artwork or dizzying colors.
Not only does their vocalist Sam Carter sound like Oli Sykes, who I'll give major props to for that tremendous throat talent any day, their musicianship keeps up the pace and throws out both deadly riffs and scattered technical work. On the kit, Dan Searle is just genuinly impressive, throwing out some serious bass kicks in places, as well as just generally keeping the blood pumping throughout their entire sound.
Carter's resemblence to Sykes is really uncanny in some places. Of course, I'm talking about contemporary raspy-yelling Sykes, not the "listen to my br00t4l-ness" Sykes that showed up prior to Suicide Season. The vocals, of course, end up taking the reigns on Hollow Crown and they're more than fit to do so. They're perfect for guiding you through the many faceted sound that Architects carves out for themselves on this album. He'll take you up, screaming at the top of his lungs over a swift techincal riff, then bottom out into a near-growl while the instrumentation breaks down seamlessly. His clean vocals are nothing to scoff at either, and if you've heard the excellent clean vocals present in Suicide Season, then you're well acquainted with them. If not, then don't go in expecting the cliched soprano that all of these bands recruit; instead, you're faced with a vocalist that actually sounds like a male.
Architects is a band with talent, not unlike their fellow UK-ians Bring Me The Horizon. While their sounds are similar, it's not a copy. That is, Hollow Crown doesn't have the catchy flair of Suicide Season, but Hollow Crown has the monstrous crushing capacity that Suicide Season is predominantly without. I think that both of their albums easily compete, and I'm afraid to say that Architects may just come out the winner. The instrumentation is all tight, and Carter sure can bellow out a line. They keep the tracks pretty heavy, and the somewhat-obligatory pseudo-ballad even works out great due to Carter's excellent singing. A track that seems to be opressively heavy at first ("Early Grave") can space out and become a bit lighter, even going as far as giving you a few moments of melody to seek solace in.
If Architects is going to keep making albums like this, I'm afraid I may have to leave for the UK ASAP. As far as this genre goes, they've nearly clinched one of the spots in my "favorite albums" category. They keep the beats nice and heavy, the vocals nice and strong, all without ever falling into the "we can be THIS heavy" trap that a lot of their contemporaries seem to get lost in. We'll see what's to come in 2009, but as far as metalcore goes, Hollow Crown is going to be hard to beat.
architects have been one of my favorite bands since nightmares but this is by far there best release and my favorite album of 2009 so far, i never get bored of it, just goes to show you that alternative press knows nothing only gave them 2.5/5 booers on them
architects have been one of my favorite bands since nightmares but this is by far there best release and my favorite album of 2009 so far, i never get bored of it, just goes to show you that alternative press knows nothing only gave them 2.5/5 booers on them
Alternate press is probably just bitter that all the countless generic new US metalcore bands have just been shat on by one British one. Love this band, been following them since nightmares and they really do just keep getting better and better.
Good review, but come on this band is far superior to bmth.
Spot on though with the bit about how it is nice to have a young metalcore band that is not obsessed with their image.
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