This is some fucking no frills hardcore from Illinois with a ton of intensity and a heavy old school sort of sound that's not at all metallic, but is definitely more in your face than your usual straight up hardcore. The vocals are relentless yells and musically things are pretty simple: Fast power chord rhythms, slower breakdowns, basic arrangements, etc. "Crash and Burn" has some awesome fast vocal patterns and little bit more of a punk influence to some degree, and I really like that aspect a lot. But other than that, and a few other slight departures, there are no surprises here. And that's fine by me. The recording is actually quite nice. It's a little bit on the quiet side, and there's not enough punch in some respects, but the mix is fairly even, and the tones don't bother me at all. The drums are natural, the bass is there, the guitars aren't too heavy but aren't dirty, and the vocals fall barely in front of the music. Not too shabby. The layout's not bad either. I like the cover illustration, the tiny individual band photos are cool, etc. The text inside the sleeve is a little bland, but it's legible and that's more important. Lyrically the songs are pissed off and to the point: "I've had it up to here with all your fucking lies, I think this time you've crossed the fucking line, Things you do! Things you say! Enough of your shit, I'm tired of playing games, You've done nothing now but pass the fucking blame..." Oh, and the 7" comes on fucking badass split vinyl that's half opaque white and half transparent red. You've gotta love that shit. Fans of straightforward hardcore without all the modern trappings should watch out for this band.
[The Silent Architect]
Running time - 9:00 (approximately), Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Kicked Out, Crash and Burn, Face the Day]
The Silent Architect - http://www.thesilentarchitect.com
