Architects Albums (2)
'Hollow Crown'
Release Date 1/1/2009
Tracks 12
Label Century Media Records
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
At least two different bands that emerged in the 2000s have had the word "architects" in their name. One is the Architects (formerly the Gadjits), a Kansas City, MO-based outfit that started out playing ska but evolved into a mixture of hard rock, punk, and rock & roll. The other is Architects, who don't use the word "the" in their name (simply Architects, not the Architects) and are a metalcore combo from Brighton, England. Metalcore is the focus of Hollow Crown, which finds them continuing to favor the angular approach that they favored on their previous release Ruin. Architects haven't softened their attack since Ruin; they are as ferocious as ever, and vicious, head-clobbering brutality prevails on scorching tunes such as "We're All Alone," "Dead March," "Numbers Count for Nothing," and "Early Grave." Ruin had a take-no-prisoners policy, and the same goes for Hollow Crown. Although math metal and math rock are influences, Hollow Crown isn't ultra-technical -- angular, yes, but not ultra-technical -- and even though this early 2009 release has its melodic moments and includes some clean vocals along with lead singer Sam Carter's tortured screaming, it doesn't fall into the screamo/post-hardcore category. Those who found Ruin to be decent but not exceptional will probably feel the same way about Hollow Crown, which isn't a huge step forward for the British band but is still a worthwhile example of angular metalcore. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For fans of extreme metal, the 2000s will go down in history as a time in which Europe dominated the death metal/black metal field (especially the Scandinavian countries) while the United States dominated metalcore. But where there are rules and patterns, there are also exceptions; the U.S. has its share of death metal and black metal bands in the 21st century, and Europe has its share of metalcore and hardcore bands. One of England's metalcore-friendly bands is Architects, whose second album, Ruin, is best described as metalcore with a strong noise rock influence. Architects don't have the groove-minded outlook of Hatebreed and Throwdown, two of the best metalcore bands in the U.S.; their harsh, violent, claustrophobic material is a lot more angular. While ultra-dense tracks like "Sail This Ship Alone," "Hunt Them Down," "Buried at Sea," and "Running from the Sun" don't quite fall into the technical metalcore category, angularity is a big part of the equation on this nasty sledgehammer of a CD. So is angst; when lead vocalist Sam Carter sings, his tortured screaming burns with rage and anger. Occasionally, some clean vocals are heard alongside Carter's extreme vocals, but even so, this 2007 recording never really ventures into screamo territory. Ruin is not an exceptional or remarkable album; it isn't among the truly essential metalcore recordings of 2007. But the 43-minute disc is generally decent, and Ruin serves as a reminder of the fact that metalcore doesn't have to come from either the United States or Canada to be noteworthy. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
