Architects have been a busy band indeed these last couple of years, and it was initially somewhat of a surprise when they announced the release of their tenth studio album so soon after 2021’s game-changing career-shift in style on For Those That Wish To Exist, and the records accompanying Abbey Road Live recording that was released earlier this year.
But with For Those That Wish To Exist providing the Brighton based band their first UK number one release, and a diminished touring cycle providing the increased opportunity for writing new material and hitting the studio, it actually makes sense that Architects are looking to capitalise and continue their momentum on the upward trajectory into the arena rock band they are becoming.
It’s true that this modern era of Architects has been polarising for some of their long-term fanbase, and those that miss the older ferocious metalcore style of their younger days may raise their eyebrows further when they first listen to the classic symptoms of a broken spirit (Epitaph). In many ways their eighth album Holy Hell, which followed the tragic death of founding guitarist Tom Searle, has symbolised the closing of a chapter and the end of the beginning for the band. And whilst their metamorphosis has been maligned by some, looking back it seems that last years For Those That Wish To Exist acted as a stepping stone for what they have delivered here.
Completely gone now are the complex mathcore style riffs of their past, and in place are heavy rock tracks laden with sing-along choruses, that, on the basis of the last two releases is now to be considered the trademark sound for the band. Without comparing the classic symptoms of a broken spirit to anything they did prior to Holy Hell, the album stands alone on its own merit as a fine heavy arena rock album.
Although the guitars are still down-tuned, creating heavy grooving parts in places, there is a newer industrial edge explored by the band, with some subtle hints of their early inspirations raising their head here and there. This album is really all about the vocals of singer Sam Carter. And I say singer, because that it what he does here from start to finish. Soaring clean vocals which dominate the majority of tracks, with the oh so minimal use of the screams he made his name with outside of the closing track ‘Be Very Afraid’, which is the heaviest cut on the record. He provides one guttural death style growl here also, and it’s interesting that they chose to close the album out this way.
Elsewhere it is a consistent collection of songs with thought-provoking verses and big room choruses for the masses. Highlights include the already pre-released ‘deep fake’, which opens the album with a heavy bass synth, flowing into a crunching guitar riff, and Sam’s memorable vocals as he sings “They’ve got a fist full of fucking gold … So you remember who we are?” at the top of his lungs. And on ‘tear gas’ the synth heavy pre-album release which leans heavily on an industrial influence of Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein in the verse, and has a sound similar to Linkin Park in the chorus. ‘spit the bone’ continues the industrial flavour with a John Carpenter-esq synth intro and heavy use of keyboards, with a further hypnotically catchy vocal hook. Sam does sneak in a subtle former trademark “bleugh” on this one.
Elsewhere, the album flows nicely following a consistent path that sounds like they have taken the blueprint of the more uplifting hits from For Those That Wish To Exist, such as on ‘Animals’, ‘Dead Butterflies’ and ‘Discourse Is Dead’ and used that to create the style of this record. And this is certainly no bad thing, at least for those who can embrace change, as ultimately …broken spirit is a strong release, and you can only give credit when the quality is this good.
Buy the album here: https://architects.ffm.to/brokenspirit
8 / 10
ABSTRAKT_SOUL_