Architects

Architects haven't always hit the mark with their releases. 2006's Nightmares, featuring ex-vocalist Matt Johnson, found the band in a technical whirlwind playing in the mathcore pond of early the Dillinger Escape Plan, while their next album, Ruin, was more about finding distinction in their music and was hit and miss. The new year is looking promising for Brighton, England's metalcore blokes however, as Hollow Crown sees the band mixing all their strongest facets from over the years into a mammoth album that shows why Architects are so buoyant in a bogged down scene. This album starts quickly with its raucous hardcore ways on "Dethroned," featuring blistering drum beats and a few O' God, The Aftermath-styled guitar riffs, and is excellently contrasted with vocal harmonies from Sam Carter during the appropriate melodic chorus. Hollow Crown only intensifies as seconds turn to minutes and minutes melt through tracks, while the sounds of yester-albums appear on "We're All Alone," with some familiar hardcore rhythmic dissonance, progressive guitar riffing and an overall feeling of comfort knowing Architects haven't forgotten where their music came from. Hollow Crown maims where other albums bruise and proves that metalcore isn't a cookie cutter genre, even if many bands do eat the same cookies.