Single Slam – Hereafter by Architects (Holy Hell)

British metalcore band, Architects, have released the first official single from their new album due on the 9th of November. The song is called Hereafter and it will feature on the album Holy Hell which will be released via Epitaph Records.

Holy Hell will be the band’s 8th studio album, following the successful All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us which came out in 2016. Holy Hell is the first album released by Architects since the sad passing of guitarist Tom Searle who died from cancer in August 2016. A terribly sad time for everyone connected to Tom meant they needed time to grieve and it was only last year that we started to see signs of the band returning. That started with the release of a single called Doomsday. Doomsday was the last song to be written by Tom before his passing though he didn’t get to finish it. It took the band a while but eventually they found the strength to finish it for him. A very powerful and emotional song, you can read our thoughts on it here.

We also saw the return of Architects to the live environment with a huge show at Alexandra Palace, supported by the excellent While She Sleeps. You can read about that show here.

Architects in 2018 are Sam Carter on vocals with Alex Searle, Tom’s brother, on drums and programming. Alex Dean is on the bass guitar while Adam Christianson is on rhythm guitar. Finally, joining the band in Tom’s place is Josh Middleton on lead guitar.

Hereafter is 4 minutes and sixteen seconds long and is another powerful and emotion filled track. It starts with a little sampling kind of warble effect with some distantly echoed intro vocals before the metalcore takes over in a fiery eruption of force. The production is second to none, with crystal clear instruments all adding a perfect layer of power. The guitars are crunchy with a lovely little compacted riff through the verses. The drums switch up between powerful rhythm and faster blasts. Carter’s vocals are delivered expertly and with an intense amount of passion and the chorus is a really catchy, sing back, one that should be cracking in a live environment.

Hereafter is really quite beautiful and feels like the continuation of the story of Doomsday. Where Doomsday dealt with the immediate aftermath of Tom’s passing, Hereafter deals with starting to learn how to move on. Not without it’s difficulties. Lines like “I’ve been learning to live without but I’m fighting with broken bones” hit hard and leave you clear on the band’s current feelings. To say they are putting it all out there is an understatement. It is something maybe they need to do, share the burden a bit. Whatever the cause, their music has maintained a high quality but with an emotional edge that leaves you feeling privileged to be part of.

A brilliant song really, and one with so much meaning. I could live without the samples/programming and happily see it replaced with a guitar melody but that is a minor thing in comparison to all the greatness on offer here. Holy Hell is shaping up to be an incredible album.

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Hereafter is available at all the usual streaming services, like Apple Music or Spotify, now. You can preorder a copy of the new album, Holy Hell, at the band’s website here or from here. Find out more about Architects at their website, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.