ARCHITECTS
w/ Erra, Holywatr
8/11 25 – The Fillmore – Minneapolis, MN
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
On a beautiful Monday evening in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, the British metalcore giants Architects arrived. The marquee wrapped around the front corner of The Fillmore, illuminating their name. Below, the glass doors were being prepared to welcome the rush of fans, who were lined up around the roundabout and down the street. The eagerness was written on their faces. After all, Architects hadn’t made their way into town since before COVID. During that seven-year stretch, the band managed to release four albums, so there was plenty of material for the fans to sink their teeth into.
As the doors opened, the line moved smoothly up the stairs and into the main foyer, where security and ticket checkers moved quickly. Above the main floor, a VIP and balcony suite area with private bars and extra space. On the main floor, the stage stood roughly 6 feet off the ground. To the right, a bar packed with patrons offered a wide variety of drink options. In the back left corner, another bar and the merchandise area were set up. Architects’ large booth area had a line of fans that stretched across the room. There were plenty of options for tour merch, including an abundance of shirts and hoodies.
Opening the night’s festivities was Holywatr, the Los Angeles-based band that has been gaining traction over the last few years, opening for several artists. Their live performance is a relentless barrage of metalcore riffs and gripping lyricism.
Check out our Holywatr concert photo gallery below:
Their success has been fueled by social media, and the younger fans in the crowd were clearly familiar with the material. Armed with tracks like “Nail Polish,” “Face,” and “Loose Ends,” Holywatr quickly established themselves as a band to keep an eye on.
The progressive metalcore force ERRA came out with all guns blazing, opening their set at The Fillmore by slapping the crowd in the face with “Snowblood.” Within seconds, the floor shook and crowd surfers began floating across outstretched arms. Their stage show was aggressive, with lights popping at a rapid pace.
Check out our ERRA concert photo gallery below:
The band focused heavily on their last two releases, Cure and ERRA. The front half of the set was stacked with newer material that still delivered those classic ERRA vibes. Songs like “Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven,” “Blue Reverie,” and “Cure” hit hard and were instantly felt by the crowd. J.T. Cavey’s vocals were grizzly and brutal, impressively contrasted by Jesse Cash’s clean and melodic style. The two intertwined their sounds with ease, a dynamic that shined especially on “Scorpion Hymn.”
The edge ERRA brought to the stage proved they belong among the genre’s greats. They closed with “Skyline” and “Gungrave” two fan-favorites that had the crowd screaming every word at full pitch. ERRA established their dominance and delivered a live performance that put real pressure on the headliner, Architects.
With the stage pitch-black and anticipation building, Architects slowly took their places. Center stage stood vocalist Sam Carter, illuminated by a single, focused line of lights. As he began singing the intro to “Elegy,” his voice, a unique blend of rasp and vulnerability, cut through the silence. The control he held over it was impeccable. As the band kicked in, so did the crowd. The Fillmore was packed to the gills, and with that came a steady wave of crowd surfers spilling over the front barricade. The sheer heaviness of “Whiplash” combined with the surreal power of Carter’s lyrics put the Minneapolis venue on notice. This was DEFCON 2 heading straight for full-blown DEFCON 1.
An explosion of progressive metalcore riffs and the thunderous blast of founding member Dan Searle’s kick drum and tom smashes led the charge into “When We Were Young,” “Black Lung,” and “Curse.” Their sound engineer deserves serious credit. Whoever was at the board managed to capture the band’s signature studio sound with incredible clarity.
On stage, the setup was simple yet effective. Searle sat elevated on a one-foot riser that stretched along the back edge. Flanking him were touring members Ryan Burnett and Martyn Evans, whose presence added the necessary weight to fully round out the Architects sound. That extra layer of heaviness came in full force during “Impermanence” and “Brain Dead.” The ferocity of the mosh pit reached new levels, spinning wildly as the band looked on from above. Meanwhile, fans lining the upper levels leaned over the railings, screaming every lyric with unrelenting passion.
Heading into the homestretch of the sixteen-song marathon, the lighting became an important character in its own right. The moodiness of it added to the power of the latest single, “Everything Ends,” off of The Sky, The Earth, & All Between. The emotional toll and surreal lyrics, which deliver a huge moment of mindfulness, shifted the entire show in a new direction. The bounce of fans dancing and headbanging, along with their voices ringing out over the music, accomplished that mission of connection that every artist on Earth strives for. The new single is an absolute smash.
Following it up with “Royal Beggars” and its similar tone and internal struggle, Carter’s vocals never wavered. The strength and unrelenting screams drove home the impact. He isn’t afraid to let all of his pain and struggle be seen.
Using a small snippet of “Gone With The Wind” from All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, guitarist Adam Christianson and bassist/keyboardist Alex Dean repositioned themselves on each side of the stage next to Carter. The mixing of “Gone With The Wind” into the almost djent-like “Doomsday” came off flawlessly. With speed and precision, the bassline rattled walls and souls. Christianson finger-tapped his way across the dark single from Holy Hell.
In that moment, it was a spiritual experience of being as one. The collective crowd engaged with the band and material on a heightened level. There was no better way to build that understanding than jumping into “Blackhole.” With one disgusting punch after another, Architects unleashed a flurry of hell that directed the audience through massive breakdowns and bone-rattling kick drum blasts.
Using the encore break to recoup energy for the inevitable final tracks of the evening, no one left. Architects had full control of their faithful fans. Coming back out to a room bathed in red light, it was time to unload everything possible for “Seeing Red.” With a signature Sam Carter “blegh,” everything led to this. Hands and bodies filled the sky. Security couldn’t keep up with the rate of people flying over the barrier. The strobes popping behind the stage illuminated the movement on the floor. Architects never once slowed their pace. They gave every ounce of sweat and energy they could. The infectious grooves and downright stank-faced riffs were dished out effectively.
Closing with “Animals” was no shock to anyone, and the song put them into a different atmosphere. The anthem made Architects a name to remember. With strong lyricism and thought-provoking verses, it encompasses everything the band is. No one walks away without the words stuck in their heads.
All in all, Architects continued their world domination. There were plenty of moments mixed in between as well. Carter often spoke about the challenges the band has faced and how seeing crowds and fans continuing to support their efforts kept them alive. He also announced that, two years to the date, he found sobriety, and in the Midwest, we understand those struggles more than most. The applause was off the charts.
Check out our Architects concert photo gallery below:
He would also point out certain crowd surfers and put focus on a family with young kids along the front rail as the future of metal. They understand and are as human as the next person. It’s the emotional aspect of the band that sets them apart from the rest of those in their genre.
Architects delivered a perfect performance that grabbed your attention and was as inclusive to everyone in the room as it could be. With eleven full-length albums and their momentum only going up, it’s pretty safe to say the band isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
