Live Review: Architects

Wading through a sea of black, a white eclipse backdrop lit the stage before any music could be heard. Like clockwork, consistent booms accompanied audio commentary that reflected on the state of the world.

Having made a promise to hit Adelaide after Bring Me The Horizon cancelled their show together in 2016, Architects made the most of that commitment. Heading over to the country for UNIFY Gathering in Victoria, the Adelaide audience was to experience the brutality of Architects before anyone else. Adelaide answered the call, too, with the show selling out days after it was announced.

With coloured lights used sparingly, beams of white flew and chopped through with each bass-drum pattern. With every riff, lights sank with downward motion and rose into the choruses. Like an electronic rave, light filled the gaps in the music. Like a rapper not missing a word, a dancer not missing a step, the performance was choreographed and executed to a T.

The first break came and singer Sam Carter voiced thankfulness, sincerity beaming through. With each interval came electronic ambience, but this never let Architects shy away from their intent as they then broke into Naysayer's thrashy blast beats. In a Master Of Puppets T-shirt, bassist Alex Dean channelled Robert Trujillo's groove, while drummer Dan Searle never tired. The guitarists nailed their roles, with a new riff breaking the sometimes-overbearing chaos.

After Phantom Fear, Carter aptly began calling out shark nets, endorsing Sea Shepherd and their plight to protect the oceans. He described them as "nets that kill innocent sentient beings", highlighting the ridiculousness of our 'phantom fear', where more people actually die in the act of taking a selfie. The flame burned brighter from this point in the show, the now-coloured lights flickering with the intensity of fire.

Having taken a break after the passing of band member and drummer Dan Searle's brother, Tom Searle, it became apparent just how important this project was to their lives. We were lucky enough to get an exclusive show, but even luckier to be the first to hear Doomsday: a song that the late guitarist was unable to finish. Singing an octave lower than usual, emotion drove Carter's lyrics forward as the band continues to present Tom's legacy. Clocking in at almost exactly an hour, two encore tracks closed their set with ambience at the end calling for a pause to reflect.

For those heading to, this was just the start. But, for the rest of us, it was a brief moment in the minds of Architects.UNIFY Gathering