Architects - Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (2022)^{Release ID: 40454}

I wish I hadn't called this in 2021, but it was quite easy to see the cracks forming through the last album and now we have reached the empty void of sellout Architects. Since I had very little experience with this band during their heavier metalcore days, I went into 2021's For Those That Wish To Exist with muted optimism, but optimism nonetheless. I thought the album was pretty bland, but Architects maintained some of their identity that was present on Holy Hell, but now this band is stuck in alternative metalcore purgatory. I cannot find myself excited about anything here because it all sounds formulaic and basic; none of the songs stand out and simply go through the motions of an alternative metalcore album. Not to mention the poor production from the last album has not been fixed, and the style changes and breakdowns evoke zero reaction.

Sam Carter has recently gone on record saying that metal music fans are elitists in that they do not want their beloved bands changing and becoming more accessible as a way to deflect criticism of this new record. Despite the fact that this happens in all types of music, I see the appeal of this sentiment. I've spoken many times on and off the internet about this very same thing and it baffles me that this practice still takes place today. What Sam Carter forgot to mention was the lost identity of Architects in that transition. This sounds like it could have been written by a computer. The new Architects album contains the classic symptoms of a broken soul.

Best Songs: burn down my house, a new moral high ground

The years following the tragic loss of founding guitarist Tom Searle was quite interesting to say the least. Although Holy Hell continued the sound from their glorious mid-2010s trio of album, it subtly hinted at a more alt-metal direction that was fully realized in For Those That Wish to Exist. The latter may not be my favorite Architects album, but it was still highly successful in the modern metal scene. So the band continued that path with more industrial aspects in The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit.

Seems like the band was doing what Trivium did between their two latest albums during the pandemic; release one album and go straight to working on the next. Similarly, the recording process was quite a different challenge. While staying popular, the band stay true to what they are with dark lyrics and raw emotion in the music.

Opening track "Deep Fake" has the band's typical riff-wrath in a slower industrial march. The lyrics pay tribute to their previous album, "But the rest of us wish to exist". We have a killer blend of riffs and synths here. It's clear that they're following Bring Me the Horizon's footsteps during their Post Human era. Sam Carter even channels his own Oli Sykes in the heayv chorus. Carter might be able to sing that one song featuring Sykes by himself. Anyway, fantastic track! Next one, "Tear Gas" starts off with slight distortion before some cool riffing and drumming. The BMTH influence continues here, along with throwing some ideas from Linkin Park and Three Days Grace. My alt-rock loving brother would like that more than I do. "Spit the Bone" spits out some electronics, in a way that adds to the song's brilliance.

"Burn Down My House" is a mid-tempo ballad-ish song though with a dark turn in the instrumentation. The more poppy aspects that appear in this song and much of its album end up giving Architects more in common with a band like Falling in Reverse. Well, my original comment for that song was written before that band's new album Popular Monster was released, and while my opinion still stands, don't expect any of the things that made that album poorly received. "Living Is Killing Us" makes an unexpected turn into personal lyrics and emotional music. However, it doesn't have that much of an impact. "When We Were Young" continues that pretty good alt-/industrial metal direction, though there are other tracks I enjoy more. Carter sings some higher falsetto in "Doomscrolling" which would've been fine if the song had more power. The lack of strength makes this sh*t perhaps their weakest track since The Here and Now.

"Born Again Pessimist" is an ode to the band's classic sound. The catchy chrous really gets me hooked, and with Carter's vocals ranging from determined cleans to brutal screams, we have yet another banger. "A New Moral Low Ground" is a good alt-metalcore track, though it doesn't have the same glory. "All the Love in the World" is also pretty average, not much memorable there. Finally, "Be Very Afraid" has the most of the band's earlier heavier metalcore/post-hardcore sound. It's so exciting hearing their brutal roots. Some parts are still a bit average, but it still makes a killer ending highlight.

Architects knew what to do to maintain the success of their previous album. As talented as they still are though, The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit is still kinda average, worse than For Those That Wish to Exist, but not as bad as The Here and Now. Still it's worth good listening, and it fit well for those dark virus-ridden times....

Favorites: "Deep Fake", "Spit the Bone", "Burn Down My House", "Born Again Pessimist", "Be Very Afraid"