Technical metal? Metalcore? Screamo? Why is it so important to put bands into a sub-category in order for them to get recognized? Whatever the official ruling on that is, Architects UK defy all categorization on their latest album, Daybreaker. Samuel Carter is the Jesse Leach of the UK in terms of vocal range and Daybreaker is leaps and bounds above their last record.
If you’re looking for defining moments in a bands career then Daybreaker would be one for Architects UK. From the moment the glistening synths of “The Bitter End” start up it’s apparent that Daybreaker is going to be something else. Then the piano enters beneath Carter’s melodic delivery building to a devastating crescendo that barely has guitars but is still just as decimating especially as Carter switches to a deafening scream as the song builds even more. “Alpha Omega” on the other hand is just pure screaming guitars, syncopated drums, and pained cries. Following is “These Colours Don’t Run” which is even more visceral and has some of the greatest dual guitar work from Tom Searle and Tim Hillier-Brook thus far. Oh, and did I mention the breakdown? If you’re afraid of the pits, you might wanna get out when this one comes on.
As diverse as it is deafening, Daybreaker marks a new era in the world of Architects UK. “The Bitter End” hinted at this and “Daybreak” had some moments but “Truth, Be Told” is the one that proves that strength can lie in how much you hold back sometimes. That holds especially true for the piano-laden “Unbeliever” which closes out Daybreaker and “Behind The Throne” which could lead some to believe that Architects UK could be the metal equivalent of The Receiving End Of Sirens.
Daybreaker is available on June 5th through Century Media.
Grade: B