LIVE REVIEW: Architects @ O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester

ARCHITECTS‘ meteoric rise up the ranks of British metal has been unprecedented. Given the events of the past two years, the very notion of the band hitting these lofty heights is even more monumental. Nearly a year-on after their career-defining performance at London’s Alexandra Palace and with Holy Hell hitting critical acclaim, the UK braces for their biggest tour to date, kicking off at a sold out O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.

POLARIS have the audacious task of kicking off proceedings, and fortunately, time is on their side as a lengthy wait between doors opening and the band hitting the stage means that the Aussie crew are greeted to an ever-swelling crowd. And boy do they make an instant impression. Their brand of metalcore is done religiously by the book but it is their manner of execution and super-tight sound that comes over as a roaring success. Riffs dense in tone, if not a tad predictable, come thick and fast from guitarists Rick Schneider and Ryan Siew, as opening number The Remedy kicks the set off to a solid start whilst Jamie Hails excels in pumping up the crowd throughout. An energetic figure, Hails bounces across the big stage oozing enthusiasm and his deployment of snappy growls pack a punch to their sonic arsenal. Trading crisp cleans with bassist Jake Steinhauser adds a gloss of melody to the atmosphere, with the soaring Consume washing across the venue effectively whilst the crooning ballad-esque nature of Dusk To Day packs plenty of pop-tinged hooks, if not unfortunately stuttering the band’s usual frantic tempo. What POLARIS display here is an exhilarating amount of energy, bolstered by their proficiency as a band and as far as an opening set goes, it goes down an absolute treat.

Rating: 8/10

BEARTOOTH have become one of the breakout successes in metalcore over the past decade. Since roaring onto the scene with 2014’s Disgusting, their fanbase and subsequent popularity has grown at an exhilarating rate and given the rapturous response the Ohio rockers are greeted with as they hit the stage, this is more than evident. And the band make good use of their time in the spotlight as they proceed to deploy a solid, if not safe, performance. Hook-laden riffing from Kamrn Bradbury acts as the backbone to their output as their easily-digestible tempo and tone strike a chord across the crowd whilst Caleb Shomo laps up the atmosphere and deploys his range of vocal tones effectively. New cuts from last year’s Disease sit comfortably alongside their back catalogue of material but it is with the older material where BEARTOOTH truly shine. The heavily harmonised chorus, arguably the strongest aspect to their sound, of In Between, where Shomo is reinforced with backing vocals from guitarist Zach Huston and bassist Oshie Bichar, cuts through the wall of sound like a hot knife through butter and The Lines‘ bouncy riffing is reciprocated by the crowd proceeding to lose their collective shit. An unnecessary drum solo at their vital halfway point takes the sting out of their bite, beckoning the question why was it included in the first place? Despite this blemish, BEARTOOTH can rest assured that their reputation and position within the modern metal climate still remains strong.

Rating: 7/10

If this was any other show, those could leave content with what they had witnessed, but this wasn’t any ordinary show. This had the air of something special, a spectacle in the making. And oh it was. As the crooning symphonies of Death Is Not Defeat wash across the room, the excitement hits fever point and as ARCHITECTS launch into the song’s explosive chorus, jaws drop. It’s a bold, defiant and phenomenal opening.

Hitting the opening in such a high-octane fashion bodes risk of fatigue down the line, but ARCHITECTS ensured that the tempo and flow of their set was as exhilarating as it was organic. A one-two punch of Nihilist and Broken Cross in the set’s early stages is met with a thunderous reception and the inclusion of fan favourite These Colours Don’t Run (taken from 2012’s Daybreaker) is a nice nod to the past and if anything, shows just how far ARCHITECTS have come in the six years since. Material from Holy Hell is the focus here, and demonstrates the sheer strength in the here and now for the band. Royal Beggars demonstrates the versatility of Sam Carter‘s vocal abilities and offers some of the most fierce guitar tones of the evening whilst Mortal After All‘s blistering riffing from Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson is executed with such power, it threatens to buckle the venue’s foundations.

For all the strength in their back catalogue, it is with their execution that demonstrates the sheer quality in the ARCHITECTS camp. No one will ever fill the shoes of the late Tom Searle, but Josh Middleton has stepped up to the plate and performs out of his skin, interchanging with fellow guitarist Adam Christianson with technical-driven leads and colossal chugging riffs that pack the power of an atomic bomb. Tom‘s brother, Dan Searle, is a machine behind the drumkit, keeping the rhythm flowing organically alongside bassist Ali Dean and at the heart of their sonic ferocity is Sam Carter. His stage presence is captivating as he holds the sold-out crowd in the palm of his hand and exchanges moments of genuine appreciation, humbleness, solidarity (dedicating Downfall to the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing is a lovely touch) and grace between the songs, and his vocal deliveries are simply out of this world. His range of iconic screams and subtle soft melodies are breathtaking, this is a vocalist in their absolute prime. Backed with a mighty stage production of various backdrops thanks to a stunning video projection, explosive bouts of pyro, and an impressive light show, it’s clear that ARCHITECTS are not just one of the best metal bands to come out of our tiny island, but to grace the entirety of music itself. And as the confetti floods across the room in finale Doomsday and the crowd roars at a deafening level, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone stood in attendance that disagrees.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: