Kingcrimsonprog British Metalcore/Tech band Architects have never released a similar album twice in a row. After the brilliant Daybreaker album however, it seems like Architects have definitely decided on their path… holding Hollow Crown in reverence and balancing innovation around that, to masterful effect.

2014 saw the release of the Lost Forever Lost Together album, which feels like a heavier and slightly more sophisticated take on that Daybreaker sound. Its meatier and more complex without necessarily being as obtuse and angular as some of their oldest material or as brash as even the popular Hollow Crown. They also take a few post-rock twists and delve into some spacey textured moments to balance it out, there’s in-your-face power and there’s brooding, and the mix works rather well. This is all topped off with thought provoking socially and environmentally conscious lyrics and an absolutely superb production job that enhances the listening experience further. The band are one of the best bands to do the tech thing without being complex, the brash thing without being caustic and the melodic thing without being saccharine. They are a great example of how passionate and honest this music can be and a standard bearer for quality. They’re not just another band, they’ve got that extra ‘special something’ and this isn’t just another album, it too has some indescribable elevating factor.

As always, the talented musicians do a remarkable job with the construction/performance of the material and the singing is arguably better than ever. Highlights include the pummeling ‘C.A.N.C.E.R’ and ‘Broken Cross’ as well as the quitter ‘Colony Collapse.’ Really though, there’s no filler, no weak tracks and quite literally never a dull moment. If this sort of music is your thing, you ought to check out this record, because it is a particularly good example of it.

I think the easiest way to describe Lost Forever Lost Together is ‘exactly the Architects album you hoped for in 2014’ and I mean that as a very big compliment as well as an honest description of what to expect stylistically and in terms of quality. I caught the band live just as the album was coming out and it got me really excited, the music they played from this album fit so well alongside their back catalogue and was absolutely massive in its own right. If you’ve never heard the band before, and don’t know what to expect, just stick on 'Castles In The Air,' ‘The Devil Is Near’ and ‘The Distant Blue’ and that will give you a good idea of what these guys have to offer.

What this album is, at its heart, is Architects absolutely perfecting their formula and delivering as perfect an example of it as they can possibly muster, throwing everything they have into performance, lyrical craft and all the bells and whistles on top. I highly recommend it to any fan of the genre, the band, or heavy music in general… this isn’t a throw-away record that you won’t be listening to next year… this one is built to last.