Architects - Hollow Crown
Rating
RIYL
SpitfireThe Minor Times
Every Time I Die
Oh Sleeper
Release Date
02/17/2009
Label
Century MediaTracklist
1. Early Grave2. Dethroned
3. Numbers Count For Nothing
4. Follow The Water
5. In Elegance
6. We're All Alone
7. Borrowed Time
8. Every Last Breath
9. One Of These Days
10. Dead March
11. Left With A Last Minute
12. Hollow Crown
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Architects turned many heads with their previous album, Ruin, which showcased the band’s ability for writing groove-oriented metalcore that was as technical as it was brutal. The album wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it showed a great amount of promise from the quintet, and it made fans of the genre eager with anticipation for their next effort. With the release of Hollow Crown, that time has finally come and it was well worth the wait. Architects have constructed a monster of a metalcore album, proving that there are still bands out there that will continue to push the envelope.
Besides the increase in production quality, thanks to Century Media, the biggest improvement listeners will notice on Hollow Crown when compared to Ruin is Sam Carter’s vocals. It’s remarkable that he does the singing and screaming on this album because both are done very well, and it’s rare to find a frontman that excels at both styles. Although the screams come off as monotone at first, repeated listens will uncover numerous vocal nuances otherwise left unnoticed. Moreover, Carter’s superb singing helps to break up the screaming, giving the album the vocal diversity that every good record needs.
Architects shines musically as well, combining styles from the punk, hardcore, metal, and rock genres. The best comparison for the music on Hollow Crown would be to combine the heavy riffs of Every Time I Die, the technical abilities of Into the Moat, and the dark melodic qualities of Underoath or Oh Sleeper. Every song on this album is excellent, with not one second of the nearly forty minute running time is wasted. Moreover, it’s pointless to list a few standout tracks because all of the songs have some great moments that deserve to be heard. However, give the album some time to prove this to you because Hollow Crown can be overwhelming the first few times through with the amount of music to digest. After the third or fourth run through, the record really starts to come alive, giving listeners a chance to appreciate the quality of the musicianship.
Most notably, Dan Searle absolutely kills on Hollow Crown; his drumming is brilliant. Whether it’s the blazing blast beats, brooding double bass, or flawless fills, it’s clear that Searle is a master behind the kit. Additionally, he knows when to tone it down and keep the drums simple to emphasize the heavier sections of the songs; a quality many drummers lack. Furthermore, Architects’ guitarists are still writing brutal riffs similar to the songs on Ruin but with a greater focus and more structured songwriting. There is also increased experimentation with melody on Hollow Crown, and it’s worked in fluidly through the songs to create some beautiful moments on the album.
It’s difficult not to gush over Hollow Crown because it’s simply just that good. Architects have created what is easily one of the best metalcore records to come out in the past few years, and one can only hope the band continues to make music of this caliber for years to come.
--Nicholas Fritz
Comments
Minnesota
I absolutely love this album. It might be early to say it, but this is a contender for 2009's top 10 list.
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Atascadero, CA
this is good, but im not sure if I feel right giving it more than a 3.5/5 seems to be getting old fairly quickly. I do have it in rotation in my 6 disc changer and it gets play just not feeling it as much as I was originally when I first got it.
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PA
Really good cd. 3.5/5 for me.
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Coopersburg, PA
Yeah I hear you. The first few spins, I was leaning in that direction but it really grew on me the more I played it.
San Jose, CA
i think it's decent, but for me, it just feels like a run of the mill album at best
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Toronto
good album, but not spectacular. When they try and do too much - i.e. the clean singing/emotional parts - it sucks. The parts themselves don't suck, but in the context of the album (because you know, it's a fucking Architects record), they do. There are still some awesome songs on here though.
Lehigh Valley, PA
I gotta go with Rick on this one. I feel like this is a breath of fresh air in a stale ass scene.
Reading/Portsmouth, Eng
Great review though I am not sure how much I will enjoy the album itself.
I hate how everyone forgets how incredible Nightmares was though. It's miles better than Ruin. The new singer is nowhere near as good.
I urge you to see this band live though. I have seen them live with both singers and they've been amazing both times.
Edmonton, AB
I agree, Nightmares was much better than both their other albums and the old singer was much better. The clean vocals on this album just don't do it for me(with the exception of the song Hollow Crown). It's a good album, but I know I'll just end up going back to Nightmares.
ARIZONA
3.5/5 good, but not great
Infinitely Inwards
I really love this album's energy. I think that this and ABR are going to be the metalcore to beat this year.
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Boston, MA
It's been a while since I heard a metalcore band that I liked and didn't previously listen to but I'm totally digging this album
Stereo Typing
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