Architects – The Sky, The Earth & All Between

Having listened to the new Architects album several times over the weekend I wanted to write some thoughts down, not as a proper review but it did kind of end up sounding like a kind of mini review. This album is really what I needed right now and I can't say enough good things. If I enjoyed nothing else about the record, the pre-release single “Black Hole” would have still made the whole thing worth it. Sometimes it’s just fun to be absurdly heavy and the video adds to the madness. But over the course of 11 albums, Architects have found a way to blend styles of metal, hardcore, and pop to thankfully create another triumph of an album that is more than just one earth razing track. Having already heard the songs “Whiplash,” “Black Hole,” “Curse,” and “Seeing Red” it was clear to me that the band was here to hand out beatings, so I was very interested to hear what else was on offer this time. Serving as a great intro track, “Elegy" begins the album with it’s little bits of electronic keys backing the guitars, Sam Carter displaying an incredible range of vocal talent before slamming into a blast of drums and hitting his now signature low growled “oh’s” that have become a staple of live performances, even for songs that didn’t have them before. Tracks like “Everything Ends” and “Broken Mirror” are the kind of softer rock tracks that old heads who apparently never listen to any other type of music detest, but they are well crafted here and placed at perfect spots on the album, changing the pacing enough so that the heavier tracks can feel more powerful when they come in, but also stand on their own in both lyrics and melody. The band gets better at creating catchy hooks on each outing, adding variety to the album that gives it room to breathe in a way older efforts in their discography have struggled with for me personally. The featured guests of the album, House of Protection and Amira Elfeky add stand-out moments as well, with the former bringing their fast-paced punk side to Architects’ metal style in “Brain Dead.” Amira Elfeky—who I had began listening to in 2024 and wondered how her alternative rock style would mesh—fit perfectly on the track “Judgement Day,” trading vocal duties with Carter in more of those great aforementioned hooks, even sneaking in a quick breakdown toward the end. It’s worth noting while bringing up album features that Jordan Fish, who seems to be everywhere after departing Bring Me The Horizon, produced the album, and did an incredible job with his ear for melody shining through especially. The track “Landmines” features a lot of that great production as well, with a chorus that has constantly been stuck in my head after each listen of the album, and has quickly become one of my favorites. Closer “Chandelier,” a classic epic-builder that can land flat for some bands, but Architects prove to the last notes of the record that they have the experience to pull off the emotion and catharsis that comes with a pay-off like this, with my only complaint being that when the track really exploded toward the end, that part would have lasted a little longer, nonetheless, it comes back down with the refrain of the chorus, quietly bringing us to an elegant landing. Perhaps that is the biggest compliment I can give Architects right now, I wanted more. I typically like shorter albums, quality over quantity, but I leave each listen of The Sky, The Earth & All Between feeling like I’ve heard a band still finding new avenues of potential so far in their career, yet still having so much more to give, and I can’t wait for whatever that will be.