It's very rare for metalcore acts from the golden age of the genre to stay bound within their boxes. Groups either stray off in completely different directions, or suffer a bit more tragic fate. Architects have managed to both progress their sound over the years, while keeping the energy and aggression they exuded when they first start thrashing in the mid 2000s. Their newest single, Meteor, is very much proof of that.

The song takes no time to ease the listeners into its electrifying grooves; the song begins right off the get-go with a smashing four-on-the-floor voiceless chorus. A hint of what’s to come, only to be brought down a peg in energy into the verse, introducing the soaring vocals. Sam Carter’s vocal delivery is impressive to say the least – both mixing calm, soothing melodies with harsh chants, almost sounding like a roar leading to battle. The energy that is constantly lifted from the verses and bridge will surely inspire you to march into war, and I feel like that’s exactly what Architects intended with Meteor.

The most ear-gripping, chill-inducing moment is the moment that immediately follows the bridge, at about the three-minute mark, where the song goes into a heavy groove in half-time, now layered with heavy choirs coming straight from a fantasy soundtrack. The chorus then seamlessly resumes in double time, or rather how the song first introduced it, hyping up the listener more than ever before in the tune. The composition is extremely well thought out and meticulously executed – a perfect recipe for a hardcore anthem.

The performance from the band is absolutely wild, especially with Dan Searle on the kit. His mix of both acoustic segments and electronic drum machines complimenting the industrial aspect of the track is key to the song’s mood and theme. The chemistry between each musician is on point in this recording, and the production only accents the fact that Architects are masters at their craft.

Meteor being the last single before their new album, For Those That Wish to Exist, it does an excellent job pushing the sound that Architects have grown into over all these years, and sets the expectations for a surely excellent record from the titans.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.