HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Hollow Crown – Architects

ARCHITECTS‘ third album Hollow Crown was leaked online on 12th January 2009, exactly two weeks before its release on 26th January. Their second album with vocalist Sam Carter, Hollow Crown is considered by some fans to be the band’s magnum opus. Indeed, upon its release, it earned critical acclaim, with KERRANG! giving it a perfect score of five out of five. As this monumental album reaches its fifteenth anniversary, we look back to see whether it still holds up after all this time.

The first thing that stands out about the album is the rawness. It hits the listener in the gut when hearing the lead guitar being played brilliantly by the late Tom Searle, who founded ARCHITECTS with his twin brother and joint band-founder Dan, who is the drummer. Tom is still dearly missed to this day, and it is lovely that he still lives on throughout the band’s music. Sam‘s rough and harsh vocals on opener Early Grave are instantly recognisable, and really bring the songs to life. In fact, the vocals for the album were apparently recorded in fourteen hours.

Dan’s drumming propels the album forward, especially on songs such as Dethroned and Numbers Count For Nothing. Part of the major appeal of Hollow Crown are the lyrics that are about everyday life. All the band were in their early twenties at the time of its release, and this album captures the zeitgeist of that time where the world was at your feet.

But there is also a touch of melancholy about it when looking at the lyrics. This again is highly accurate to being in your twenties. Whether you’ve just come out of university, are looking for work or are looking for your purpose in life, the world is a lot bigger and more complicated than you’d ever imagine, causing you to doubt yourself. This is best exemplified in We’re All Alone, with the refrain of the line “My dreams have fallen once again.”

Whilst the album is fantastic, it isn’t perfect. To the untrained ear, the album can sound like one big slog of anger. The majority of the album is made up of fast-paced, short and very shouty songs. Whilst there are some standout moments, such as Follow The Water‘s fantastic sing-along bridge, other songs, such as Borrowed Time seem to fly by without much notice. It is a shame because there are some hidden gems, especially towards the latter half of the album.

This includes the closing title track. A rare quieter moment in the noise, the song starts with a gentle guitar riff and gentle drum beat that showcases Sam‘s singing voice. The lyrics are sad and desperate for someone to help the narrator. Whilst they are mostly repetitive throughout the four and a half minute runtime, this does not hurt the song. Instead, it emphases the desperation. Fans of the heavier side of ARCHITECTS needn’t have worried because there are screams thrown in; however, they are regulated to the background.

The title track could quite possibly be ARCHITECTS‘ crowning achievement, if they hadn’t released later songs such as 2014’s Broken Cross from their sixth album Lost Forever // Lost Together or 2016’s heart-breaking Memento Mori from their seventh album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us. However, the seeds of those fantastic songs are laid in this brilliant, but forgotten closing song.

Musically, ARCHITECTS have grown exponentially since 2009. Whilst some fans might view Hollow Crown as the band’s peak, there is no denying that there were strands of experimentation in this album, especially in the closing song. Whilst the two follow-ups to this album – 2011’s The Here and Now and 2012’s Daybreaker – received mixed critical and fan reception, the band got back on track with 2014’s Lost Forever // Lost Together and 2016’s All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us.

The band’s future was thrown into the unknown after the tragic death of guitarist and primary songwriter Tom Searle from skin cancer in August 2016. The band continued on, and earned critical acclaim for their eighth album, 2018’s Holy Hell. Whilst they pushed their musical sound to the limits on 2021’s For Those That Wish To Exist and 2022’s The Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit to mixed reception, that only means that the next release could be one that stands alongside beloved albums such as Hollow Crown.

In live shows, the album sadly doesn’t get much of a look in, as the band haven’t played any songs on that album on any of their recent tours. It is a shame because the album has some fantastic songs that would be brilliant to hear live. On the other hand, the album is nearly perfect as it is raw and honest, but also captures a specific point in time; why ruin the magic of playing it live?

Overall, Hollow Crown is a fantastic album. ARCHITECTS had managed to capture a zeitgeist that is timeless. Whilst the album isn’t perfect, as some songs get lost in the noise, it is near enough perfect. The band’s melancholy lyrics capture the uncertainty of being out in the world, and the sheer anger that bleeds through each song is impactful. With standout songs like Follow The Water, Early Grave, and the overlooked but still stunning title track, Hollow Crown is an album that is one of the most beloved in the band’s discography. After fifteen years, the album is still enchanting listeners, old and new. Long may it continue.

Hollow Crown was originally released on January 12 2009 via Century Media.

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