Architects – The Here and Now

Grade: B

I have mixed feelings about British post-hardcore outfit Architects. For one thing, their previous spaz-metal, scream-heavy intricate rock albums were pretty much unlistenable. The second thing, the band is from the happiest town in England: Brighton.

Some notable moments in rock history have come from Brighton, a pretty un-metal town. Queen’s “Brighton Rock” is named after the town’s famous candy. Atmospheric rockers British Sea Power and everyone’s favourite The Go! Team are from the area. The Kooks went to school there, and what sexy lady doesn’t like Luke Pritchard’s curly locks? In the 1960s the town was even overrun with the battle on the beach, a huge gang fight between British Mods and Rockers (okay, that’s pretty metal).

Even still, it’s kind of hard to imagine anyone sounding hard from an upperclass resort town with one of the best Top Shops in the country and Starbucks every ten blocks.

Which is probably why Architects most recent effort, *The Here and Now*, is downright poppy compared to previous albums. With cascading screams, lots of harmonic shredding, and that kind of goat yowl Dallas Green made popular with Alexisonfire, *The Here and Now* will certainly be featured on the next Rock Band and subsequent frat parties.

It may not be as noisy as their previous incarnation, which will throw off a few old fans, but this is definitely the right step for the British metal band.

Who knows: maybe they’ll even start listening to Joy Division and The Cure. A Joy Division-inspired metal band—that I can get behind.