Architects - For Those That Wish to Exist (2021)^{Release ID: 26203}

Fancy tea parties wouldn't be for Sam Carter if he keeps making rude noises like he's disgusted about something, "BLEGH!" Get it? OK, jokes aside, Architects has please the modern metal scene with technical metalcore blended with Linkin Park-like melodies. But now it seems like they want to take the Linkin Park-isms further. After a few albums of monolithic metalcore, album #9 For Those That Wish to Exist marks a different phase in their career.

This new direction was first hinted subtly in their previous album Holy Hell, an offering of resilience after the passing of founding guitarist Tom Searle. At least this more accessible sound in For Those That Wish to Exist is better than their first attempt in The Here and Now, and even Hollow Crown. Still the redemption wears off...

"Do You Dream of Armageddon" is a nice electro-orchestral intro. Then "Black Lungs" blasts off into catchy nu metalcore. I recommend that song to anyone wanting to get into alt-metalcore! I like "Giving Blood" in which the booming rock sound and bombastic strings makes sure this album is the Minutes to Midnight of Architects. "Discourse is Dead" throws back to the band's earlier heavy aggression. It's polar opposite "Dead Butterflies" is a ballad-ish rocker, standing out with Carter's cleans and screams.

Stomping rhythms cover the heavy "An Ordinary Extinction". Then "Impermanence" has more of that battling against the bass and drums. Guest vocals appear for the first time in a few albums, as Winston McCall from Parkway Drive adds to the metal intensity. As much as I enjoy that one though, why the h*ll does the "again and again and again" part sounds so much like part of the chorus "Don't Let Me Down" by The Chainsmokers?! Speaking of electropop, "Flight Without Feathers" only depends of dreamy keys and beats. One song I feel lacks some creativity is "Little Wonder", sounding too mainstream in the music and lyrics, "I wanna sing you a different song, one's that easier to swallow". Yeah, there are easier songs to swallow than that sh*t. But it's made up for by the guest vocals of Royal Blood's Mike Keer and the strong breakdown, "THEY F***ING HAD IT COMING!!!!!" Next track "Animals" marches with a great industrial drum groove alongside the addictive guitars and bass.

The riffing power goes heavy in "Libertine". Then "Goliath" is another interesting track with ambient synths, arena-filled melodies, and metalcore heaviness all at once, with some more guest vocals, by Biffy Clyro vocalist Simon Neil. Deeper down, "Demi God" soars with strings without much error. The penultimate "Meteor" is not bad, but the catchiness could've had greater composition. "Dying is Absolutely Safe" closes the album with delicate strings and additional drum work by Liam Kearley of Black Peaks.

While a few tracks really end up tapping out, you can depend on Architects to hook you up with different aspects including synths and cinematic strings. For Those That Wish to Exist is for those who wish for a more diverse sound, though the heavier fans wish the band could stand by what they're known for....

Favorites: "Black Lungs", "Giving Blood", "Dead Butterflies", "Impermanence", "Animals", "Goliath", "Demi God"

I have never paid very much attention to bands like Architects, even if the majority of people that I know in metalcore spaces absolutely adore this band. I cannot truthfully say that anything I have heard from Architects to be abhorrent, but most of it just never stuck with me by comparison. That said, when I listened to their 2018 album Holy Hell, I was struck by how much passion was put into the music after the death of one of their integral songwriters. It really felt like this group could have written that album as a swansong and I’m not sure many of my friends would have complained.

That being said, when I heard the backlash from those same people surrounding their newest album, For Those That Wish To Exist, I was surprised to say the least. So I gave it a listen and… I don’t get it.

Oh I get where the anger comes from. For a band that has developed such a devoted fanbase, for them to go full on Bring Me The Horizon with their alternative, electronic leaning timbre that is not entirely devoid, but certainly limited metalcore roots, it would be a slap in the face to some. But as someone who was never a big fan of Architects in the first place, this is an entirely serviceable alternative metal pivot for the band, with many of the issues that similar bands have faced for decades.

Production wise, while the kick is far less prominent in the songwriting, the mixing has been blown up almost as compensation for slower moving parts. Many of the choruses on this album feel like they are about to fade out, but are followed by a typical melo-core breakdown. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it at first, but after the third time hearing it, it must have been added on purpose and it sounds disorienting.

While some of the songs sound decent, most notably “Giving Blood”, “Demi God” and probably “Dead Butterflies”, the lack of a bass independence from the rhythm guitar continues to infuriate me. And Sam Carter’s vocals are far less passionate than the last record as well. I guess I cannot count on the singer to have the same voice they did four/five years ago, but they still feel unpolished. Oli Sykes sounded better on That’s The Spirit and neither of these performances live up to the heights of Chester Bennington on Meteora.

On the surface, Architects are taking the steps to make their sound not only more accessible, but also sustainable. Sam Carter is not going to be able to record “Doomsday” for every song for the rest of their life. And while there may be glimmers of quality here, it is still relaxed enthusiasm from me. This is getting dangerously close to sounding like generic hard rock/heavy metal music, and I hope Architects can get off that path before it’s too late.