Flashback CD Review #77 - Architects - Revenge

[TageRyche]

This review was written for Rock Is Life.com in 2006.

Architects
Revenge
Anodyn Records - 2006
http://www.architects-rock.com

What's The 4-1-1?

The Kansas City, Missouri group follow up their 2004 album Keys To The Building with another serving of pounding rhythms and hard-hitting lyrics.

Genre

Rock / Hard Rock / Punk Rock

The Good

The music on the album is extremely tight. Oddly enough, the music retains a wonderful sense of rawness. There isn't an abundance of over-production on this album.

The first two songs on the CD, "Reciprocity" and "Widows Walk" are well put together songs yet on the opposite ends of the band's own personal musical paths. "Reciprocity" is a hard rocking track featuring a great guitar sound and a real rough and bluesy sound to the vocals. "Widows Walk" finds the band's punk attitude out in full force. These two songs along with "Bury My Heart In Lebanon, MO" are the outstanding songs on the disc. I wasn't crazy about the chorus in "Live Forever" but the song is otherwise pretty good as well.

The Bad

There were two things I didn't care for on the album. The first is the incredible momentum sapping inclusion of the closing tune "The March Out". Sorry guys, but the song stinks to high heaven. This song reminds me of last year's Judas Priest album Angel of Retribution. They both feature a great lineup of hard driving anthemic rock songs and each album features a horrifically bad closing song that leaves you with a bad taste at the end.

Musically, I have no problem with "The Badge", but the lyrics and attitude of the song put this son of a former police officer right off.

The Verdict

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this album when I first received it in order to review. I'm not much of a fan of the whole punk rock scene, so whenever anyone includes that in the press material I'm a little wary. I'm very happy to report that the Architects have cobbled together a quite musically charming disc that should please both their existing fan base and expand that fan base in large increments. It's a hot album and I look forward to listening to it even more as the year passes.

Did You Know?

Architects singer/guitarist Brandon Phillips cites singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams as one of his influences. Revenge was recorded in the space of four days. The Phillips brothers (Brandon, Zach and Adam) were all formerly in the band Gadjits.

Rating: 4 out of 5

[Scott]

Informative!  I love reading about these bands I know nothing about.

 

The mid west scene in the late seventies was hot though. Bands like Head East and Shooting Star came out of that area and to this day spin regularly in my house!  Sounds like those days are long gone!