ARCHITECTS For Those That Wish to Exist | Weekly Heavy Metal Album Review

 

Released by Epitaph Records on February 26th, 2021

Quick Background

Architects are a British metalcore band from Brighton, East Sussex, formed in 2004 by twin brothers Dan and Tom Searle. With the release of their sixth album Lost Forever // Lost Together in 2014, the band achieved lasting popularity and critical acclaim. Soon after the release of their seventh album, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, in 2016, guitarist and principal songwriter Tom Searle died after three years of living with skin cancer, making Dan Searle the only original band member. Architects are (or were) one of my favorite metalcore bands. I really like their latest albums and they put up fantastic shows. However, I have always wondered when would they make the leap to mainstream radio friendly music as the signs have been there. 

For Those That Wish to Exist 

'I wanna sing you different song, one that's easier to swallow, We can dance, we can all sing along' so it reads the lyrics of track number nine "Little Wonder". And that to me summarizes the album. For Those That Wish to Exist, is that leap. Their ninth studio, runs for one hour with 15 short 4-min tracks. It's very long for a metalcore album! But more importantly it confirmed the departure from the earlier albums into mainstream radio friendly music. 

As you starting hearing the opening intro track "Do You Dream of Armageddon?" you already think 'oh oh' what's this? It is only 1:40, so you let it pass. Maybe it's just the intro. Then in fact we are in for a decent start. "Black Lungs" features a heavy riff, aggressive singing and good screams. But then the bridge has this whispering singing from the opener and the chorus is very bright and clean. But OK, it is a fun song overall. "Giving Blood" is very catchy with some electronic flavors, more whispering but it's also a fun track overall. "Discourse Is Dead" track number four has some old style screaming, but here also doesn't last long. It's a good song with some mid-tempo heavy parts. 

But I must say after that is an avalanche of garbage, it's really difficult to listen to it. Specially if you know what they have done in the past. It's borderline boys band music, very soft, mellow, boring, generic and uninspired. "Flight Without Feathers" is just unlistenable or maybe if you are 15 years old shuffling some boys band songs, then this song will fit well. Like in this song the album features some many parts with whispering winning singing  that irritates me. Lots of electronics that could be played in a dance club like in "An Ordinary Extinction". 

To all fairness there are a couple of nice moments in the middle of this fluffy whining. "Impermanence" with Winston McCall vocal contribution (Parkway Drive) is a better song. Also "Libertine" is good groovy and heavy song, you know relatively speaking.

The Picky Guy

As I said, not all songs are bad, there are actually some very good moments here and there as discussed. But it's not consistent, even the better 5 songs of 15 have a disappointing moments. It's the electronic music beat, or the soft singing or the use of industrial samples and keys, I dunno, something ruins them. It's just that the aggressiveness and raw energy is not there anymore. And of course nothing here comes anywhere close to previous albums.

Wrap Up Opinion 

Architects' For Those That Wish to Exist marks my first big disappointment of the year. I used to really like this band, but I was always afraid this day was gonna come. It was just a matter of time that they would try to make the jump to an even more accessible mainstream sound. Just like many of their peers have done it. It's their choice and I won't condemn them for doing so, but it's just not for me and don't expect me to stick around. I haven't given a score that low in a long time, but even 71/100 seems like a high score for this album. I hate to be that negative, but I have no choice here. If you enjoy it, that's cool. I respect bands and people who like them. But I suspect this album will split their fan base, but also bring a new public and that's probably what they are counting on.

SCORE: 71/100

Genre: Metalcore

Released by Epitaph Records on February 26th, 2021

Rating System

99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

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