Architect

Blackmarket Activities has at last broken the mould. Finally, the label has signed an act that doesn’t sound like the Red Chord or Premonitions of War. Well, maybe just a bit like Premonitions of War. Architect’s blistering, bullshit-free assault on the ears is a major force to be reckoned with and makes for by far the strongest noisecore effort in recent memory. Equal parts Coalesce, atonal mosh and social-political wrecking ball, All Is Not Lost throttles the listener mercilessly with no quarter asked and none given. Keith Allen’s throat-searing screech provides the foundation for a scorching rhythm section that balances the choppy, unpredictable tempo shifts with a surprisingly memorable, groove-oriented battery, topped off with a searing production that’s guaranteed to dissolve even the most resilient speaker systems. With nothing less than complete world domination in mind lyrically, judging by Allen’s unrelenting criticism of the U.S. government and organised religion, expect nothing less than a full-scale riot at an Architect show, and more importantly, bring earplugs. This kind of power and conviction in a generally stale and regurgitated scene full of half-hearted try hards is simply undeniable. Prepare to be crushed.