Back in the fall of 2020, British metalcore stalwarts Architects were set to make their first appearance in Indianapolis. COVID obviously put the kibosh on that U.S. tour, as well as the planned make-up dates that were moved to 2021. Four years later, the band has finally landed in the heartland on the first date of their latest American tour. Architects have been a band on my bucket list for over a decade, so it’s safe to say this night was much anticipated.

Interestingly, in the four years since that original planned Indy date, the band has elevated from the relatively small Deluxe room at Old National Centre to the Egyptian Room, highlighting the band’s ascent over the past few album cycles, which included an opening slot on Metallica’s M72 World Tour in Europe just last year. The band’s rapid rise in popularity is evident upon arrival at the packed venue.

Providing support on the tour is We Came as Romans, who have entered a new era themselves with the release of Darkbloom in 2022, their first album since the passing of vocalist Kyle Pavone in 2018. While it’s been a long road to recovery for the band, they sound re-energized with David Stephens owning the stage as the band powers through a large selection of Darkbloom tracks, including their breakout single “Daggers”. Still, the band finds room for some classics as well, highlighted by fan favorite “Hope” from 2013’s Tracing Back Roots.

I’ve held the opinion for several years that Architects frontman Sam Carter is one of, if not the best vocalist in metalcore today. His evolution over nine albums has been awe-inspiring. While he has always possessed the ability to rattle the walls with his high and low screams and growls, his sense of melody and singing ability has grown leaps and bounds in recent years, as evident on For Those That Wish to Exist and 2022’s The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit.

Yet for longtime fans of the band who haven’t been as enamored by the band’s more melodic side in recent years, Architects have taken a few big, heavy swings with some recent singles, including set opener “Seeing Red” which features one of the band’s best breakdowns. The track sets off the crowd in Indianapolis before they fire into “Giving Blood” and “Deep Fake” from their two most recent albums.

The most evident and important takeaway from the night is that Carter and the rest of the band are having an absolute blast. Carter’s smiles during and in-between songs lights up the stage. A few songs into the set, Carter removes his jacket to reveal an Indianapolis Colts Anthony Richardson jersey beneath to cheers from the crowd before commenting, “I’ll be honest, I don’t know a fuck about this sport.” Carter’s humor throughout the evening is matched by his sincere gratitude for both longtime fans in attendance and those that are new to the band.

Not surprisingly, the set largely focuses on tracks from Exist, Broken Spirit, and 2018’s Holy Hell with highlights including “Impermanence”, “Doomsday” and “When We Were Young”. Still, a few classic tracks sneak their way in, including “These Colours Don’t Run” and “Nihilist”, which draws attention to those in the crowd that have followed the band for years.

There’s a certain excitement in seeing one of your favorite bands make the leap, even if the nostalgic side of you may miss the “good old days.” But given what Architects have been through as a band, and more importantly, as brothers and human beings, it’s impossible to wish anything but success and good fortune for the group. This first show of the tour showcased the kind of energy and excitement fans can expect the rest of the way.

by Kiel Hauck

Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple online and print publications and was most recently an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter