ARCHITECTS - The Earth, The Sky & All Between (Album Review)

ARCHITECTS - The Earth, The Sky & All Between
Released: February 28, 2025

Line up

Sam Carter // Vocals
Adam Christianson // Guitar
Ali Dean // Bass
Dan Searle // Drums

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Can you believe it's almost been 20 years since ARCHITECTS first burst onto the scene with their debut release Nightmares? In that time we've witnessed the soaring highs and soul-crushing lows this band have endured in their rise to become the metal giants they are today. Following on from back-to-back releases For Those That Wish to Exist (2021) and the classic symptoms of a broken spirit (2022), comes a new era of 'TECTS made possible by the intricate production skills of ex-BMTH member Jordon Fish - who has imprinted his talent all throughout The Earth, The Sky & All Between - as he helps mould the band into a newer, levelled up version of themselves complete with trademark synths and sounds from his previous outfit.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Kicking off album eleven is 'Elegy' which boasts BIG DICK OPENING TRACK ENERGY from start to finish as frontman Sam Carter's cleans sound much more refined as he greets us with an alluring performance that guides you by the hand to his signature screams and growls we know and love him for when as rest of the band joins in for a throwdown that smashes you in the face and warrants repeat listens. The down-tuned guitars and bass come to the forefront with a balanced mix that's tighter than an ant's butthole. With soaring choruses that are instant earworms, it won't be long before you're singing along, especially when Carter belts out the album's title with that epic stadium rock delivery. Without a doubt the band's best opening track in years which sets the benchmark for the rest of the record.

Personally, I cannot wait until they start playing this in a live setting, it'll be the best way to wake the fuck up and get to (mosh) business with instant gratification. The PHAT breakdown and chunky riffs lead directly into back-to-back masterpieces, 'Whiplash' and 'Blackhole' - which showcases some of ARCHITECTS' heaviest material since the early years, and a band hellbent on making sure you remember where they came from - and that they can still punch you in the throat with their instrumentals when needed. Drummer Dan Searle shines with his complex fills and beats while those newly added Fish synths elevate the singles to dizzying new heights.

Listening to both of these one after another really makes you wonder how entitled "fans" can question the band's ability to release face-smashing metal jams that unapologetically grab your attention with sheer force that you feel in your chest - especially with those thumping blastbeats throughout 'Blackhole'. Another fine example of Jordan Fish's master touch in the studio done right.

'Everything Ends' slows the momentum right down as the focus shifts to Sam's melodic performance in a song from a similar vein to BMTH's 'Medicine', but with it's own personality. It's a softer, radio-rock type track that could serve as a gateway into the band's heavier material for new fans. With plenty of moments for sing sharing between band and fans, it'll become a staple on ARCHITECTS' bigger stage shows when they diversify and tour with more accessible rock bands. Never fear though, because we head right back into the Thunderdome for the thrashy as FUCK 'Brain Dead' - featuring the one and only House of Protection. The naysayers will have a field day eating their words when they blast this beast which goes balls to the wall from start to completion. It's no surprise once you hear it why the band picked HoP to feature on it, as it sounds like something from their own cutting room floor, combined with the polished and experienced songwriting skills of ARCHITECTS. I honestly can't get enough of it, so I'm going in for another spin before moving on.

Okay, now I've cleaned myself up, let's keep the heaviness rolling into 'Evil Eyes' - another ferocious assault on the senses that blends 'TECTS heavier traits with their catchy, melodic choruses. The song structure takes leaps and bounds through tempo and soundscapes without leaving the listener jarred or unable to keep up. There's another guitar solo that just fills the spot so perfectly and allows Adam to get in on the centre stage action momentarily. It's great to see the boys leaning into their metal/rock influences and roots and not just settling for adding another breakdown for the over exaggerated core enthusiasts to spike their last brain cell with. 'Landmines' (at first) borders on industrial metal riffage (hello again Holy Hell) with an uptempo intro leading us towards Sam Carter's delicate singing and stripped back verses. While the song ebbs and flows between hard rock soundscapes for the chorus and melodic parts in each verse, the best quality on this one is when the band opens up for the breakdown and rains down on us with the heaviness they were alluding to at the start to third act. The guitar parts are a nod back to the Holy Hell era and oh boy is it done with class and precision and not a feeble attempt at nostalgia grabbing.

Take note bands, you CAN throwback to similar sounds from previous albums and not simply cut and paste. Kudos to ARCHITECTS for this move.

'Judgement Day' finds us heading into a digital, cyber-punk-esque realm where guest vocalist Amira Elfeky steps up and, well, she absolutely crushes it. It's such a contrasting experience hearing the band take a huge leap into new soundscape territory, but allowing their guest collaborator to take the lead. The electronic synth and effects paint a picture of a dystopian future with Amira and Sam intertwining their performances as they soar with beautiful vocals and alluring melodies while Sam personally reaches new levels of high pitch wonder, before he comes crashing back to earth with depths of hell gutturals and bellowing screams. Jordan's additional synth and sounds aren't in your face and compliment the track wonderfully without taking anything away from the rest of the band. I loved Sam's collab with Spiritbox ('Yellowjacket'), but I have a feeling 'Judgement Day' may come knocking for the best feature ARCHITECTS have ever done with a female, period.

'Broken Mirror' builds upon the foundations set by the album's earlier "poppier/radio rock" moments and once again give fans a front row seat to the new vocal display of our fav vocalist as he croons before the screams return in what appears to be a nod to the uplifting rock vibes of Bad Omens. Now, I say this with the utmost respect, but during a number of spins while taking review notes, my brain went into autopilot and started humming the words to 'Concrete Jungle' during the chorus - potentially due to the similarities in song structure. There's no way this is a copy/paste job, but whether intentional or not, I couldn't help shake it with following listens. This isn't the first time I've encountered inspired or sampled song structures with music Jordan Fish has put his touch to - Poppy's album Negative Spaces (which he also produced) was rife with musical influences and nods to everyone from Evanescence, Madonna and Hole getting a look in - but I hope this is simply a coincidence. Give it a stream on release day and see if you have a similar experience, or if I'm completely on my own with this thought process.

Rounding out the heavy parts of the album are blockbuster singles 'Curse' and 'Seeing Red' - both of which still hold up after all this time has passed and have cemented themselves as core sounds of ARCHITECTS' newfound growth and development since Fish jumped on board. 'Curse' harks back to that Holy Hell and 'Doomsday' era (as touched on earlier) without copy/pasting the best bits. Dan drums are exceptional and the song has the band firing on all cylinders as a solid unit. 'Seeing Red' still gives me the biggest Cheshire cat grin knowing it was directed to all the Fairweather fans who criticised the band with their previous two albums, saying they'd gone soft. The way Sam commands the crowd through song is monumental and after seeing videos online of him controlling the masses in a live setting, I cannot wait for Australia to get the chance to sing that chant in person. The single also featured the first taste of those now-iconic growls which are prevalent throughout the album and are always welcomed and never overused. This is ARCHITECTS in their ANGRIEST nature, and I will lap it up every time it plays for the rest of my existence. BLEGH!

Coming in to land is the ballad-boi territory is 'Chandelier' - an epic closing statement for this new release and one that reaches for the heartstrings. The piano intro sets the sombre mood as Sam's cleans come circling back, grabbing your attention as pulling you in like a warm, inviting hug. The band eases in slowly without overshadowing Carter's performance, their instrumentals compliment the backing synths and sounds as we're lead high and low with a delicate musical arrangement that comes crashing down at the commencement of the third act with another Adam Christianson driven guitar solo. The song then opens up like a beautiful car crash during the anthemic crescendo with soaring guitars leading us to one more guttural for good measure. It's at this moment you close your eyes and can picture the sparklers falling down from the top of the stage as the band finishes their set. With similar feels to previous anthemic hits like 'Dead Butterflies' or 'A Wasted Hymn', it won't be long before this number makes its way into your 'make me cry dammit' playlist, and I sure hope the boys introduce it as the final song before the encore.

So, what's the overall verdict on ARCHITECTS' 11th album? While the band have ventured into new territory and soundscapes thanks to good pal Jordan Fish, I can't help but feel they've lost a little bit of their identity with injected production sounds and effects. There's no denying Fish sculpted Bring Me The Horizon into the megastars they became following Sempiternal, but you can hear his influences and throwbacks to his previous band throughout this new ARCHITECTS album. That's not to say it's a bad release, it just (at times) feels like BMTH 2.0 when 'TECTS' were standing on their own two feet without the additional extras layered throughout. Kudos where it is due, Sam Carter's vocals are at elegant new heights and the way he switches between delicate melodies and gutturals is outstanding. While much more bassy than previous entries, Dan Searle's drum work is world-class and the album shines bright with its heavier moments, while allowing listeners to re-centre themselves with the softer selection between.

The Earth, The Sky & All Between isn't exactly a return to form (did ARCHITECTS ever really lose their place in the upper echelon of metal musos!?), but it does lean into what fans want from the band, rather than what they want to experiment with - like they had done on the classic symptoms...

It beckons for repeat spins and will sound even bigger and more badass in a live setting.

Rating: 8.5/10
The Earth, The Sky & All Between is out February 28th via Epitaph Records. Pre-order/save here
Review by Paul 'Browny' Brown @brownypaul