Architects
Hollow Crown

Release Date: 2009 | Tracklist

Sam Carter and the boys are back with their third studio album Hollow Crown. This album follows the critically acclaimed Ruin which was the second studio album by the Architects. Ruin gave the boys from Architects respect among the metal community, which may have given them the confidence to branch out from their sound to create Hollow Crown. Although many people may say it is less heavy than Ruin, it still surpasses it as a whole experience from beginning to end.

The guitar playing in this album is exceptional throughout . Although nothing they do really blows you away, the tightness of the entire sound during all of the heavy breakdowns and slow melodic parts gives you a glimpse at how truly talented Tom Searle and Tim Hillier-Brook really are. Their ability to keep the sound together through the different variations of sound the band goes through throughout the album and sometimes in the middle of songs. An example of this can be found in the song “Follow the Water,” where the guitar goes from heavy chugging to a melodic and very technical riff almost instantly. Throughout the album the guitars are inlaid very well with melodic riffs in the background and the heavy distorted guitars in the foreground, which gives every song its own sound. And, of course where would a metalcore band be without their bassist, who in the case of Architects, is Mr. Alex “Ali Dino” Dean. His heavy bass playing is showcased throughout the heavy parts and is a big part of the sound of these parts. Architects depart a little bit from most metalcore bands in that Dean does not just play the heavy chugging riffs with his bass but actually has his own parts, an example of which can be heard in the song “In Elegance,” where at one point only Dean and Sam Carter are playing with dean playing a very distorted and slow bass part as Carter sings. That bass part adds a lot of atmosphere to that section of the song which in turn makes the entire song better.

The drumming by Dan Searle although nothing to write home about, is solid throughout and provides the driving force for the band throughout the album. The pounding beats throughout the album are very powerful and command you to go into the pit and hurt somebody. Although generally not much different from most metalcore drummers Mr. Searle does bring a level of technicality to the drum parts that are rare for the genre and definitely go far in giving Architects a signature sound that separates them from their peers. Another interesting effect Architects use in a few of the songs is electronic drum beats. Now you may be saying “OMG they are pulling a Bring Me the Horizon,” but don’t worry these parts work to perfection and never take a place of importance over the real drummer. They are generally used during really slow parts of a song and are only heard in a few. The song that uses them to great effect is the title track “Hollow Crown,” which is my favorite Architect song and incidentally, probably the slowest song they ever wrote.

What further sets Architects apart from other metalcore bands is their vocals done by Sam Carter. From his first scream on the album in the song “Early Grave,” you can feel your soul being wrenched by the sheer emotional power and aggression present in his screams. However, the power of Mr. Carter’s vocals is not limited to just his screams, he is also one of the best clean singer’s in the genre today. In songs like “In Elegance,” and “Hollow Crown,” you really get the brunt of Sam’s clean singing power and the genuine emotion and feeling he puts into every word. Also in these songs you get to hear Sam’s ability to transition from hardcore scream to clean singing very smoothly and effortlessly. This ability sets Sam Carter apart from many of the other vocalists in the genre today and contributes to the signature sound of Architects.

In conclusion “Hollow Crown,” is an amazing album in every since of the word. With the mixture of heavy and melodic present in the guitars the band shows the overall technicality involved in all of their songs. The pounding drums give the band a heavy sound that lends itself great to moshing without sacrificing the overall sound of the song for a very repetitive breakdown sequence. Finally the amazing vocals of Sam Carter set this band apart and allows the band to experiment with their sound as a whole as they can seamlessly transition from clean and melodic to heavy and crunchy.

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3.8 excellent

Rank: #60 for 2009