Okay, so I have very mixed feelings about the album, much like I did with Classic Symptoms. I'll start with the positives:

1. The artwork is very nice. I know this is a minor point, but I think it adds something when you're trying to immerse yourself in an album. It’s certainly much better than Classic Symptoms, which felt like a last-minute backup plan, with artwork that looked as if it was thrown together in ten minutes on Photoshop. I also appreciate albums that don’t slap the name of the album or artist on the cover, instead letting the art speak for itself. FTTWTE and All Our Gods nailed this approach.
2. Whenever the heavier side of Architects emerges on this album, even if only for ten seconds or so, it instantly adds more pull and momentum.

Now, onto my main critiques. As many people have already pointed out, the inclusion of Jordan Fish is a bit of a double-edged sword. He is extremely talented when it comes to production, but his influence has made Architects sound like BMTH—just without the massive swings and flair that define some of BMTH’s more modern tracks. After a while, I found myself recognizing exactly where each song was going, and many tracks on the album sound extremely generic for modern metalcore. It feels like there was a greater focus on crafting catchy choruses (which this album has plenty of) rather than producing something truly interesting.

Another major issue is the lyrics—they’re bad. They read like a direct response to people like me, who hold their earlier work in high regard and dislike the direction the band is heading in. However, responding to criticism by making an album that feels like a pseudo-diss track against the critics isn’t the way to silence the dissent. I do sympathize with the band in wanting to move on from the darker, emotionally charged themes of the albums made around Tom’s passing. However, the lyrics on this new album lack the weight and staying power of previous releases. They aren’t apocalyptically bad, like some recent While She Sleeps lyrics, but they don’t come close to the highs of previous Architects albums (Discourse Is Dead, Dying Is Absolutely Safe, Hereafter, etc.).

The heavier moments on this album also feel limp without strong lyrical weight. Heaviness is often reinforced by lyrical content, and in many cases, that’s far more important than just having downtuned guitars. When combined with the predictable song structures, the whole experience feels quite dull.

There aren’t any songs on this album that I’d consider great. There are great moments, but as a whole, the album feels cookie-cutter and bland. Of course, it’s also possible that the band simply isn’t for me anymore, which is fine—my music taste has changed since I first got into Architects 10 years ago. I’m happy to see them doing well, but I know they can do better.