Revenge is not best served cold

Kansas City's Architects play tough American rock, and the band's sophomore album is a promising precursor of what's to come.

By Patrick Daugherty

Published March 17, 2006

The Kansas City rock band Architects is back on the scene with its second album, Revenge. Born out of the ashes of ska act The Gadjits, the band formed in 2004 and created a much harder rocking outfit. With Revenge, the band avoids a sophomore slump and lays the seeds for a potential major label deal.

First things first. Revenge rocks. Hard. This is no nonsense, straight-up American rock with limited frills. The 13 tracks barrel along relentlessly and rarely stop to take a breath.

The band is a melting pot of sounds, and takes influence from all over the rock map. This is especially true for vocalist Brandon Philips, whose voice is part Tim Armstrong of Rancid, part Mike McColgan of Dropkick Murphys and a dash of Living Things' Lillian Berlin. It is not distinct, but it is certainly not bad. The same goes for the band in general, as it rocks with conviction and passion, if not necessarily groundbreaking originality.

The most obvious band to compare the Architects to is the St. Louis group, Living Things. Architects play in the same vein as its cross-state cousins and the two bands both try to lend some credibility and genuine edge to the stagnant mainstream rock airwaves.

One thing Living Things has and Architects don't, though, is a major label deal. Working with major label studio equipment is something that could greatly benefit the Architects' sound. This statement probably is blasphemy to any punkers out there, but the songs could use a little extra shine. Part of the album's point is its rawness, but it ultimately has radio ambitions and just a little more gloss could make it a sure hit.

Even without the studio polish, this is a catchy, arena-ready album. These songs were made to be played live and will blow the minds, more literally than figuratively, of anyone who witnesses the band play.

The album starts out badly with a riff that could be lifted from the Nickelback playbook, but this is only temporary. The band rocks more forcefully than most mainstream warriors, but it sounds less heavy, less annoying and more genuine than bands such as Shinedown or Seether. The guitars, though hard, are rooted in classic rock, and the attitude is more mature punk than whiny teen.

The individual songs are less memorable than the whole album, but there are standouts. "Stand" and "Don't Call It a Ghetto" would make AC/DC proud. The real highlight, though, is the album divider "Time to Flip the Record," a deep-fried, brief southern boogie that adds a rootsy harmonica to the band's forceful rock with excellent results.

The album does have its flaws. Phillips' vocals aren't consistent enough in tone and he shouts a lot, often sounding like he is trying to imitate Fuel. The band also relies too much on sheer force rather than always crafting fully fleshed-out songs.

Regardless, these problems seem more like kinks from a band that is beginning to nail down its sound rather than fundamental flaws.

Architects sound like a band on a mission and one destined for success. It might take another album or two, but the band has the sound and swagger to make a name for itself.