I'm curious if with this softer direction they're going, if any of them look back on The Here and Now more favorably. Obviously they still seem to be quite different but maybe they wouldn't judge themselves so harshly for straying away from their known style since they're doing it again here.
I did a TBT with Dan recently for Apple Music and he kinda touches on that so I'll share it once it goes live next month
Lost Forever // Lost Together is the most fully realized album in the style they’ve been known for in the last decade or so imo
Yeah samesies. Hollow Crown followed by The Here And Now and Daybreaker. Holy Hell got me back on board though.
There are times where I still get baflled by the tepid reception The Here And Now got, but then I remember how jarring of a change the rockier songs were at the time. I'm not saying it was ahead of its time, but it's an album that would've made more sense coming just before or after Holy Hell? I'm not even sure about my point, as the punk-hardcore influences were dropped in favor of more traditional metalcore after Daybreaker though.
I feel so bad for them honestly, this sucks. Maybe they'll move it up? I'll hold out until the release date if not.
I'm still processing a lot of this but so far, I think it's a successful album that's going to serve both as a departure and a new template for their future releases. This more post-hardcore / industrial cyberpunkish rock direction suits them perfectly. They obviously softened their sound a bit, but have retained the strong atmospheric undertones in the background, as well as some classicaly eerie melodies that defined them. It's so weird to think that, when I first got into Architects through Hollow Crown, this would be the sound they'd come up with more than a decade later. - In that sense, An Ordinary Extinction is an early standout. I like how it builds this industrial feel, with the climax in the entire bridge - final chorus section being so satisfyingly good. - Giving Blood is an early curveball, I don't think I've heard something this rock sounding from them in a long while. Similarly, Little Wonder completely took me by surprise with its synthpoppy groove, if that one doesn't become a single... I could say the same about Meteor. All three remind me a lot of Young Guns and Holding Absence. I guess they're coming for that Radio 1 gig. - Flight Without Feathers is another early favorite, I want to play it next to Hollow Crown (song) to see how far they've come in the electronic soundscape department. - Dying Is Absolutely Safe is one of the best thing they've ever done. An acoustic song that gets all orchestral all of a sudden? Take me to church! One complaint that comes to mind, even though Sam is finally making good use of his clean vocals, his melodies tend to blend together this time. Maybe I need a few more listens, but right now, I'm mistaking some choruses for others. It doesn't help that it's not really diverse tempo wise. That said, I wonder how this album is going to be received as they haven't made a stylistic change this significant since The Here And Now. Since Holy Hell somewhat hinted at some of the sounds present here, I feel like people are going to go into this with a more open mind. Regarding where they could go next, I think Demi God could be a good example to follow. The electronics are more on the forefront, and it even feels symphonic at times? The piano led bridge sounds right out of The Fragile! Could be really interesting to hear more of that vibe. Samesies regarding the closer. I'm going to cross my fingers for an acoustic album or show further down the road. Lastly, I also need to check their bundles to see if there's some good looking merch or anything fancy included because I feel bad for them with this early leak. If touring isn't feasible, I wouldn't mind watching another livestream focused on this album.
Very well said, I echo a lot of your thoughts. I think this is a really successful sound change. I hope most of their fans are open-minded towards it... as you said, Holy Hell hinted at elements of what they did here so I think that’ll help fans adjust. Personally I really enjoy it.
After a few listens, this could end up being my favorite album of theirs. It's just so massive and so well done. I find myself just bobbing my head uncontrollably throughout the entire album. Amazing atmosphere and still maintains the heaviness I love from them. The guest spots are also really well done.
Of course, the few places I check to see opinions already have metalcore bros throwing tantrums about this.
Animals just took out #47 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2020 which is huge considering Doomsday and Hereafter barely made 150ish in previous years. Proud of my fellow aussies voting
I haven't listened, but I believe that I will love this based on the singles and the fact that I loved The Here and Now. I think there will be a lot of negative reactions from their core fanbase because it's such a drastic change from their last four albums. Fans probably also believed that they might have gone in a much more riffy or heavy direction since Josh joined and serves as a songwriter (such as The Seventh Circle). Personally, I'm very excited that they are branching out their sound and I hope they continue experimenting with their sound in the future. If the more "radio-friendly" songs chart as well that's even better.