Architects

For Those That Wish To Exist

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ft. Simon Neil, Winston McCall, Mike Kerr.
Genre: Metalcore.
Released: 26/02/2021
Via Epitaph

Album Review: Architects – For Those That Wish To Exist

Architects are back with the highly anticipated ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’. This marks the band’s ninth studio album and fans have not been shy about expressing their excitement around the metalcore bands new album. After the commercial success of ‘Holy Hell’, Architects will be hoping to strike gold once again. It would be wrong of me not to review such an enticing album so without further adieu, here is exactly what I thought of ‘For Those Who Wish To Exist’.

The album starts with the ever ambient ‘Do You Dream Of Armageddon?’. Setting the tone for what will follow, the song captures that iconic Architects sound and is a great build-up to the heavy hitting ‘Black Lung’. The second single of the album has already made its way into the hearts of the fans and it’s clear to see why. Heavy riffs, slick synth, and a beat that’ll have even the most casual fan headbanging along. It’s great to hear that the band are still embracing the sound that made them what they are today and it’s interesting to see how they twist it to allow the songs to sound unique from the previous albums.

Following on from that, ‘Giving Blood’ features a groovy as hell drum beat. Dan Searle absolutely dominates this track from his impactful fills to the general feel that he creates from his drumming. The contrasts from heavy to soft are executed brilliantly by Architects which is something the band have become synonymous with over the past few albums. ‘Discourse Is Dead’ is a strange one in my opinion. In ways, it works, however, I can’t help but feel like it missed the mark slightly. I really can’t put my finger on my issue with this one and it’s left me feeling very confused about it. Who knows, maybe this is one of those songs that’ll grow on me over time but at this moment in time it just feels weak compared to the rest of the record.

Single number three, ‘Dead Butterflies’, leaves little doubt in my mind about its quality. Sam Carter’s clean vocals are something to be cherished in the metal scene and this song is an excellent example of the raw emotion and dynamic range he can produce, not to mention the unnecessarily heavy riffs that accompany it. It’s clear to see why the band chose this one as one of the singles. How do you follow that? With the neck jerking ‘An Ordinary Extinction’ of course! This song is screaming out for a pit for fans to absolutely lose their minds to it. The song is a classic example of Architects ability to switch it up in an instant. Some of the heavier sections of this song are disgustingly good. Cannot wait to hear this one live!

Speaking of hearing songs live, I would pay good money to see ‘Impermanence’ live including Winston McCall being present to deliver his crushing vocals. Architects have no plans on anyone coming out of this one with a neck left intact. Sam delivers some of his best screams on the entire record during this one and the addition of the Parkway Drive frontman absolutely shatters the expectation that has been set by the rest of the album. Also, that breakdown is going to get someone killed! Without a doubt, this one is one of the top songs on the whole record.  Despite having to follow that, ‘Flight Without Feathers’ manages to shine in its own unique light. The soothing and tame entry into the album is a massive change of pace yet it still feels like it belongs where it is. Architects tend to have a couple of experimental esc songs on their records and this one works incredibly. I’m sure this one will have all the elitists saying “Why are they so soft now” but this style is becoming more apparent in modern metalcore and it is still winning over fans constantly.

‘Little Wonder’ really doesn’t sit well with me. The synth sounds very overpowering and the song really didn’t have anything memorable in it for me. A vastly different style to anything else on the record doesn’t do the song any favours either. The inclusion of Mike Kerr from Royal Blood does give it some style points however I can’t help but feel like this will be one of those songs that gets left in the dark. A really disappointing song in my opinion. Luckily, this is followed by ‘Animals’ which had fans losing their minds when the band released it as the lead single for the album. You can’t help but just bang your head along to that four to the floor intro! Boasting an infectious chorus and some great work on the toms from Dan makes this one lodge itself deep in your head. A truly unique listening experience from this one that really highlights the growth and development of the band.

Moving onto ‘Libertine’ now and I have to admit at first I wasn’t a fan of this one, however the more I listened to it the higher I rated it. Sam’s vocals absolutely carry this song though. The way he switches up vocal styles creates this absurd level of contrast that only Architects are capable of. The instrumental to the song is a decent composition that complements Sam’s vocals nicely.  ‘Goliath’ bloody rips! Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson’s guitar work throughout this track is something else. From the rapid licks to the spine-tingling riffs. The guitar parts absolutely steal the show. A great vocal performance from Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro wraps the metalcore bow around the song perfectly. I highly recommend this one!

Nearing the end of the record now and ‘Demi God’ is a very standard song. It gets the job done but doesn’t do enough to really stick out. Every album needs some filler and this one really comes across as one. It seems as if it’s been positioned here to slowly start the build-up to the final track and it does that well considering it is followed by the most recent single from the album ‘Meteor’.  This song has an incredible energy around it that makes you want to groove along to it no matter what. Every part of this song just falls into place nicely and the song does an incredible job of getting stuck in your head for days at a time. With a song this good, it sets the bar for the final song quite high and ‘Dying Is Absolutely Safe’ smashes all expectations. In typical Architects fashion, the final song is a much more tame affair. The acoustic guitars mixed with Sam’s emotional-filled vocals help ride the song off into the sunset. Once again, Architects prove that they are more than just a shouty, chaotic metalcore band which has been a massive driving factor in why they are doing so well for themselves.

‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ is another great addition to Architects discography. The album contains songs that will become synonymous with fans and live the span of the band. It may not be perfect however it has so much going in its favour, and for a band with as much attention as Architects I truly think that this record will see the band propel into uncharted heights. I cannot wait to see what Architects have instore for us next so until then, I think I’m gonna give this album a few more spins.