Architects - the classic symptoms of a broken spirit [Eco Mix]

Architects push deeper into industrial darkness on the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, the band's 2022 album, presented here on Eco Mix vinyl in a gatefold jacket.

Arriving barely a year and a half after For Those That Wish to Exist, the Brighton band's tenth album trimmed back the orchestral sweep of its predecessor in favour of tighter, harder songs. Cold electronic textures and stadium-sized hooks sit up front, yet there is still enough metalcore muscle here to remind everyone where Architects came from, especially when the breakdowns hit.

"Deep Fake" sets the tone with a cold, mechanical pulse and Sam Carter's voice switching from croon to roar in a heartbeat. "Tear Gas" is a pounding, chant-ready anthem built for festival fields, and "Burn Down My House" slows to a brooding, melancholy crawl that ranks among the band's most affecting songs. "Spit the Bone" snaps back with jagged, groove-heavy aggression and a riff that refuses to let go.

Anxiety, grief and a world that seems permanently on fire run through the lyrics, delivered with conviction rather than despair.

It bridges the band's heavier past and their bigger, bolder present, and it stands as one of the most complete statements in their catalogue.