Architects Electrify The Fillmore
It has been quite some time since I have been to a metalcore show and after a short stint of concerts that did not quite scratch the itch for heavy music, I was beyond excited to head to The Fillmore to catch a band I have not seen in nearly eight years. The last time I had the opportunity to catch U.K. based metalcore band Architects was back in February of 2018 when they played at First Avenue, and I remember just making it there on time after a decent snowfall. Aside from what has currently felt like a neverending loop of air quality alerts and high humidity, I was glad to at least not have had to travel through a snowstorm to catch this band this time around.
First up for the night was Holywatr, an alternative rock group hailing from Los Angeles. Sure enough, I walked into their set completely blind to what this band was all about. What I definitely was not expecting was the incredible dual vocal duty from lead singer Holy. I was instantly drawn to this group’s ability to command a stage in front of a crowd that at first seemed unfamiliar with their music. Before long, Holywatr got a good part of the crowd moving along, starting the first wave of crowd surfers for the night, with others head banging along. “nail polish,” was by far the band’s most popular song with the crowd, and I felt like the only one in attendance that didn’t know any of the words to be able to sing along. While Holywatr may not make it full time on my own musical rotation, the band sure was a treat to see live and I’ll definitely be around at their next stop in the Twin Cities.
Next up, the penultimate band of the evening, was ERRA, a metalcore band that seems like I’ve always had the opportunity to see as an opener, and have yet to see as a headliner. I feel like the last time I caught ERRA live was when they opened for August Burns Red, and I was excited to see how much the band has grown since then. Right from the start, it felt like ERRA charged on stage and cranked the intensity up to eleven. What I felt really helped ERRA make a statement with their set was their lighting production on stage with them; it really added a much needed element to their performance to truly elevate every single song and breakdown. If the crowd wasn’t awake before ERRA stepped onto the stage, they definitely were during the band’s roughly forty minute set. It felt like every moment was filled with fans singing along, crowdsurfing, and moshing to nearly every second. There was no doubt in my mind that ERRA has leveled up since my last live experience with them in nearly every aspect of their performance, and it was very fun to catch a familiar band.
Finally, it was time for the one and only Architects to take the stage. While this band is not permanently in my musical rotation, when one of their tracks does come on, it brings me right back to their live performance at First Avenue back in 2018. The band just dropped their eleventh full length album “The Sky, The Earth & All Between” earlier this year in February, and opened up their set with “Elegy” and “Whiplash,” two tracks off of that release. The crowd at The Fillmore felt like it went into full chaos mode during the band’s time on stage, with a consistent stream of crowdsurfers (including a fan dressed as what I assume was a wizard) pouring over the front barricade. Interestingly enough, when asked if it was their first time or not to see Architects live, a majority of the crowd made noise for yes, which could have fooled me. If there is one thing for certain it is that Architects knows how to bring the heavy to their set; I found myself headbanging along to each of their songs, regardless of if I knew it or not, I was hooked. From beginning to the end of their set, it felt like Architects brought a full force cathartic chaos to The Fillmore that brightened an otherwise mundane Monday.
