A strong comeback from the metal legends...
28 · 02 · 2025
It’s quite remarkable that numerous truly heavy bands have gained significant commercial success lately. To illustrate this, compare the 2025 Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance (which feature the intense energy of Knocked Loose and Spiritbox) to those from two decades ago, when massive melodic metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage and Slipknot were in the spotlight. Brighton’s Architects are part of a new wave of artists (including Bring Me The Horizon, Poppy, and Spiritbox) creating genre-blending, digital-age metal that is suited for arenas while retaining its dense brutality.
Through a long career that has seen them evolve into one of the UK’s biggest rock and metal acts, Architects’ heaviness has fluctuated in an unpredictable manner. At times, it is the main focus of an album; at other times, it shares space with more melodic experimentation. From their early mathcore records to post-hardcore explorations and electronica-infused hyper-metal; each of their now 11 studio albums has a distinct sound. For long-time fans (a nod to 2009’s ‘Hollow Crown’: a classic of UK metal), realizing they are on their eleventh album can be quite existentially jarring. Yet here we are, faced with the vast passage of time and the latest offering from the four-piece, ‘The Sky, The Earth & All Between’.
Following two previous albums that explored a maximalist, mid-tempo arena metal style, Architects’ latest work shifts back towards the fierce, rapid intensity they excel at more than nearly anyone else. ‘Brain Dead’ is driven by chaotic punk beats and aggressive seven-string chugs, ultimately leading to a tight, punishing breakdown. The single ‘Whiplash’ harkens back to earlier Architects hits like ‘Early Grave,’ while ‘Blackhole’ features a series of deeply satisfying double-kick/guitar chug synchronizations that are sure to please tech metal enthusiasts. Vocalist Sam Carter's remarkable scream is deployed thrillingly, spanning the particularly savage verses of ‘Evil Eyes’ to deep deathcore growls heard throughout ‘Blackhole’.
However, in spite of the heaviness, each track on ‘The Sky, The Earth & All Between’ balances its intensity with soaring clean vocals. This occasionally veers into predictability; the heavy verse/melodic chorus structure employed in songs like ‘Blackhole’ and ‘Seeing Red’ is a well-worn genre trope made famous by earlier metalcore bands of the 2000s. In several instances, Carter’s clean vocals closely resemble those of Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, which diminishes their impact compared to his uniquely identifiable screams. An exception is ‘Broken Mirror,’ which reverses the formula. A pop metal mini-epic with stadium grandeur, this track highlights Carter’s clean vocals in a notably soulful manner, interspersing some screams in a brief middle eight.
Overall, ‘The Sky, The Earth & All Between’ excels. It's one of Architects’ most concentrated albums; characterized by fast, enjoyable heaviness, concise runtimes, and lyrics that focus on clear, stripped-down imagery rather than grandiose statements. It stands out among the veteran band’s most polished efforts simply because it (mostly) emphasizes what they excel at: delivering whiplash-inducing modern metal.
8/10
Words: Tom Morgan
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It's quite remarkable that numerous truly heavy bands have garnered substantial commercial success in recent years. For example, take a look at the 2025 Grammy Awards.