Architects: Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Stream Review)

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Paul 'Browny' Brown

Architects
Live Stream from The Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London
November 22, 2020

The year is 2020 and we’re now able to watch Live Streamed Concerts from across the globe and join in the fun and festivities alongside likeminded fans in the process! The latest band we love and adore to jump on the idea is Architects who have promised fans an experience to remember with their Live from The Royal Albert Hall show.. here’s what went down!

Opening with shots of the infamous venue, completely emptied, the camera pans to the hallways as frontman (and sex on legs) Sam Carter make his way to the stage amidst atmospheric synth where he joins his bandmates and immediately ferociously screams his way back into our lives with ‘Nihilist‘ and holy shit, his gutturals during this sound so fucking huge in comparison to the previous times I’ve caught this track live in Australia (and believe me, it’s been a lot). The rest of the band are tight, fast and look astounding in the flickering lights and strobes which the band spared no expenses with. ‘Modern Misery‘ is up next and Sam joins his fellow builders on stage with some awe-inspiring visuals on stage and blue lighting in the seats around the venue that really add to the whole experience. Lead guitarist Josh Middleton adds some oomph to the track’s screams with his own growls filling up the moments while Sam’s cleans have really been perfected – I’ve always stated that his progression as a singer/screamer has been one of my favourite journeys in heavy world – but this show has backed up those claims ten-fold.

Next we’ve got a treat (and so early into the stream) with the premiere of a brand new song called ‘Discourse Is Dead‘ off the boys’ forthcoming album For Those That Wish To Exist. It’s an all-in assault for Architects which is full of chuggy riffs, bellowing screams/gutturals, a tasty breakdown at the end and Dan Searle bashing away on the drumkit like a madman on the loose. For those of you who have been criticising the band’s progression into this next era, just wait until they release this song, you’ll be biting your tongue and apologising for your ignorance. ‘Broken Cross‘ takes us back to the band’s Lost Together // Lost Forever era and if you didn’t scream along to the opening words of ‘God only knows why we were born to burn’, well, you cooked it. Ali Dean (bass), Adam Christianson (rhythm guitar) and Josh Middleton (lead guitar) take the spotlight as they bounce off each other (whilst bouncing in place) having the time of their lives without missing a beat. Older fans would enjoy a heavy throwback like that and new fans will have their eyes opened to a time when Architects were just starting the climb to the peak of their careers where they are now. ‘Death Is Not Defeat‘ brings the feels back of their latest masterpiece Holy Hell – which, let’s face it, a lot of us still aren’t over yet – and displays just how good these guys are. The Royal Albert Hall’s lights changed to a gloomy flood of red, only changing with the string section before the track’s closing third part. No matter how many times I hear that song, I’m never going to get sick of it. Ever.

Angelic vocal hymns bring us into ‘Royal Beggars‘, a nice new addition to the band’s live show and Sam’s infamously large “BLEGH!” sounds massive during this performance. ‘Gone With The Wind‘ keeps the momentum flowing fast and furiously into the night (or early morning for us in Australia) and I can’t help but think how many lounge room coffee tables will be flipped during those Dan Searle blast beats and how many tears will be shed as fans unite around the world screaming the words ‘A sickness with no remedy / except the ones inside of me’ in respect for the late (but never forgotten) Tom Searle, who’s cancer battle and struggles were told via this belter and the album it came from, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us. Frontman Sam Carter absolutely poured his heart and soul into this performance which saw him, at times, struggling to hold his emotions back while singing about his fallen comrade. Time goes by so fast, yet his memory still remains and we’re always subconsciously thinking about Tom and the legacy he left with this band. We’re also so proud of the boys for getting on stage, and in the studio to keep that legacy alive.

As always, his initials T//S were shining bright in the middle of the screen as the song and lights fade out around the band…

Tom Searle Forever

We’re left with barely any time to wipe away the tears before Architects tear straight into ‘Mortal After All‘ and Sam struts his stuff back and forth across the stage with the rest fo the lads in the background looking like they’re having the time of their lives. ‘Gravedigger‘ is up next and holllyyyy shittttttttt! This is a staple in the band’s setlist and has been for years, yet every single time they play it, you can’t help but throw your body around the place and scream ‘YOU FUCKING PARASITE’ at the top of your lungs!

Following this, we have our first interaction from the band with Sam thanking every single person that has spent their “hard earned money to watch this stream” during these trying times (like we wouldn’t mate) and he goes on to say they’ve been “busy writing and recording their new album” over the last year and they’re very excited to play some new songs for us before launching into the very first live performance of their absolute belter of a new single ‘Animals‘.“GODDAMNNNNNNN THIS SOUNDS SO FUCKIGN HUUUUUUGE” I screamed as I sang along to every single word for the song that captured my attention instantly a few weeks ago and fast became one of my favourite songs of the year. The combination of Sam’s clean singing – which almost sounds like a defeated man trying his hardest to get people to listen to what he’s saying – and his assertive line of ‘WE’RE JUST A BUNCH OF FUCKING ANIMALS’ when the chorus hits, realllly makes you think about the themes of this next album and what you can do to join forces with the band and make a difference for our planet. Oh yeah, and the sirens and breakdown go hand-in-hand with each other alongside Dan’s china cymbals and that chuggy AF riff which will no doubt make anyone’s neck sore after bashing along to the beat. Upon completion, I’m left wanting more and if I wasn’t as keen for the new album before, now it’s all I want to hear!

‘Holy Hell‘ sounded massive as it always does with some incredible angles shot of the band which gave us all up close and personal look at the boys on stage, instead of in the pit below. Following this Sam announces that this next song is a new one called ‘Dead Butterflies‘ which sounds fucking huuuuuuuuuuuge!!!!! It’s atmospheric stadium rock and given the venue Architects are playing it in for the very first time, it fills the entire Royal Albert Hall and at this moment, you can’t help but think that this is possibly going to be an instant fan favourite anthem upon release. The quality in this is insane and proves they’ve taken their sound to new heights and literally on the doorstep of becoming the UK’s next large scale heavy band. Once again, can’t fucking wait for this new album!

Architects – Stripped Back at The Royal Abert Hall

During the fade-out, the lads step off the stage and head to the centre of the moshpit for a stripped back ‘Memento Mori‘ with keyboard, acoustic guitar and chills-a-plenty. This rendition is so beautiful, but you haven’t heard the best yet… After this, they jump straight into ‘A Wasted Hymn‘ and if you don’t have feels with Sam Carter‘s soothing and emo filled performance, then maybe you need to see a doctor. I’m literally tearing up as I listen to this and it just works so well. Architects have always been a high-energy, high-impact band, but to hear them like this, in such a raw/beautiful moment… I have no words… it’s just so perfect.

The final countdown of the show is here and they hit the stage once again just as the intro for ‘A Match Made In Heaven‘ plays out and Sam’s hair stands in attention while his middle finger points to the sky as he screams ‘so fuck your revolution’ loud and proud. ‘Hereafter‘ hones in on the band’s signature sound and despite having played for over an hour, they’re still firing on all cylinders. The song ends, the lights go out and a spotlight shines bright on Sam Carter as he thanks everyone for tuning in as he announces this will be the band’s last song and encourages fans to pre-order their new album For Those That Wish To Exist (which is out February 26 via Epitaph Records) before unveiling the final song will be ‘Doomsday‘. The synth. The drums. The bass & riffs. All play a part in making that opening instrumental sound so fucking incredible every time. This is another one of those songs that I/we will never get tired of hearing and every single time Sam sings it, he only improves. His flawless performance needs to be acknowledged and if you doubt that statement, then you need to reevaluate your life choices. ‘Doomsday‘ really is the greatest song of all fucking time and I hope they never EVER stop playing. With one final scream, the live stream ends, Sam thanks us all so fucking much and Architects exit the stage.

Time for a closing statement? How about this! Architects are an incredible force that at this point in time, seem unstoppable in everything they put their heart into. This live stream performance was by far the BEST thing that 2020 delivered and just watching it has instantly made me almost forget about the shit we went through. It is hard to believe that in only a few short months time, the band will be back in our lives with brand new material that’ll no doubt nurse us into a new year full of fresh starts, new phases and new purposes in life.

Thank you Architects, you saved 2020…

Words by Paul ‘Browny’ Brown @brownypaul

Setlist

Nihilist
Modern Misery
Discourse Is Dead (New Song)
Broken Cross
Death Is Not Defeat
Royal Beggars
Gone With The Wind
Mortal After All
Gravedigger
Animals (New Song)
Holy Hell
Dead Butterflies (New Song)
Memento Mori
A Wasted Hymn
A Match Made In Heaven
Hereafter
Doomsday

Screencaps