architects live

Four bands in one night is always a tad ambitious and when the doors open fifty minutes later than advertised, it becomes almost impossible to get everyone in on time.

So, only getting to catch the last ten minutes of Lower Than Atlantis was disappointing but not entirely surprising. The UK four piece come with a reputation for causing physical, as well as musical, mayhem. They are certainly a volatile live act but thankfully, tonight is all about letting the music do the talking and even on this brief showing, it’s blatantly obvious why these guys are creating such a buzz. Violently melodic and beautifully vicious, Lower Than Atlatnis’ days as a well kept underground secret are numbered.

Very different, but no less impressive, Devil Sold His Soul hit the stage next and pummelled the masses with thirty all too brief minutes of their hypnotic sonic terrorism. You can call it metal, hardcore, post-this or post-that, but the bottom line is that Devil Sold His Soul simply excel at making brutal thought-provoking music. If you ever wondered what Isis would sound like playing an angular doom / death metal hybrid, Devil Sold His Soul might just have the answer.

Next up, Norma Jean bring a bit more of a party vibe and if gold medals were handed out for connecting with your audience, they would be drowning in bling. Strip away the surface veneer though and the fact remains that in terms of songs, Norma Jean are pretty unremarkable.

Not so Architects. For a while now, the Brighton quintet have been hotly tipped for greatness and finally it looks like they might just get there. New single and live opener Day In Day Out is a great start, hinting at the massive potential Architects now have to cross over into the mainstream.

Vocalist Sam Carter is a commanding frontman, cutting a dash across the stage like the sleazoid grandchild of Iggy Pop, all blond hair and flailing arms. Taking their cue, the crowd respond in kind and sixty minutes of intense pitting and crowd surfing ensure that many will wake up feeling suitably bruised and battered the following morning.

Halfway through the set, Carter pauses to tell us that the band has no interest in prancing around onstage and acting like rock stars; a laudable sentiment but if they continue like this, the band may find themselves having little choice over their rock star status.

Architects are about to make British metal very interesting.

by Marcus Jervis