Architects

I imagine many of us are thinking the same: "God, please let it be better than The Here and Now." Switching from a crazed tech/metalcore attack to clean-cut post-hardcore may have provided the band with a shot at radio play, but it also had people scratching their heads, wondering where the hell the real Architects went. Daybreaker hasn't eradicated those ghosts entirely, but they have found a balance in which to return to the Searle brothers' heavy sounds while carefully incorporating Sam Carter's soaring clean vocals. As a whole, it sounds epic. "Devil's Island" is a prime example of their exploration of catharsis and the ether. "Outsider Heart" begins as a neck breaker, with Carter trading shots with Stray from the Path vocalist Drew York as the track takes flight from Tom Searle's fret board. Hollow Crown producer John Mitchell returns on this record, giving the band both the crushing and ominous sound they deserve, and delivering it to the listener in a powerful return to form.