Architects: All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us

Emerging from the British metal/hardcore scene of the mid ‘00s as scrappy Dillinger Escape Plan and Johnny Truant acolytes, Architects have evolved over time into one of the most distinct and vicious metalcore acts, over 10 years of activity and 6 full lengths behind them. With a massive upsurge in popularity after 2014’s Lost Forever // Lost Together, this album largely remains within the same sonic territory, but with the darkness and progressive elements pushed further than before for a quite thrilling effect.

 The anger and sonic battery that characterised Lost Forever // Lost Together is very much present here, yet it is channelled into a darker, heavier, much more negative space. The guitars still blend technical riffing with pummelling hardcore, the rhythm section is as tight and dynamic as ever, the use of tasteful electronics, orchestration and atmospheric guitar leads is continued.  Despite this similarity, Architects do manage to throw out some surprises, “Gone With The Wind” being an excellent example of their unique blend of post-rock influenced melody and sharp, incisive riffing. “All Love Is Lost” is a rather sombre number, haunting atmospheric leads over a sludgy dirge. Their biggest surprise however is “Memento Moi”, a sprawling 8 minute epic with a truly epic crescendo driven by orchestration and blast beats   Even the more atypical Architects numbers like “Downfall” or “A Match Made In Heaven” are improved by the underlying ambiance and a step up in song-writing prowess. Yet that classic all-out assault Architects do so well is very much present on “Nihilist”, with its bouncy breakdowns and circle pit inducting riffs. The heavier use of electronics and more mid-paced cuts help give the album a dense, choking atmosphere, fitting the misanthropic lyrical content. While their previous albums have taken on specific political topics such as consumerism, nuclear disasters and conservation, this album’s lyrics are a wakeup call to the casual violence and callousness that characterises how we humans relate to the earth. Sam Carter makes his feelings on the matter perfectly clear with potent opener “Nihilist”, “I found god clutching a razor blade/He said look at the fucking mess we’ve made”. Indeed while the whole band are playing to their strengths here, it is Sam Carter who stands out the most. His vocals are both versatile and powerful, fragile cleans deployed skilfully at the right moments, thick throaty roars and surprisingly catchy pitched melodic screaming creating some of the albums best choruses such as “Phantom Fear” and “Downfall”. 

 All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us is the sound of a band embracing metalcore and pushing it further at a time when many bands are substituting artistic progression for fairly average radio rock. It is a less easy listen than Lost Forever // Lost Together, yet this makes for a superior album. It is an album that deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as genre classics like Underoath’s Define The Great Line and Parkway Drive’s Deep Blue. They’ve done the impossible and surpassed what many thought was their magnum opus.

 9/10

 Standout Tracks: Nihilist, Gone With The Wind, Memento Moi

 For Fans Of: Northlane, Deftones, Underoath.

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