For Those That Wish To Exist

Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist
Critic Score
Based on 15 reviews
2021 Ratings: #160 / 753
User Score
Based on 677 ratings
2021 Rank: #934
Liked by 47 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Kerrang!

For Those That Wish To Exist is an expansive album in every sense of the word.

100
Upset

If ‘Holy Hell’ was Architects shining a spotlight on their story so far, ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ is their magnum opus. This is the sound of Architects once again ascending the ladder on their journey to becoming the scene leaders of British heavy metal.

90
Clash

The current climate is dark, moody, uncertain with the pandemic in mind, but this new album brings joy and happiness in a time where it is needed most.

90
Distorted Sound

For Those That Wish To Exist is a brave new world for ARCHITECTS, a new chapter for a band who are releasing themselves from the shackles and embracing every nook and cranny of the musical spectrum.

80
NME

The Brighton's band ninth album is, improbably, a fresh start. With a cleaner sonic palette and orchestral flourishes, it's proof of their enduring creativity.

80
DIY

The bleaker things get, the stronger they emerge.

80
The Independent

Thematically and sonically, For Those That Wish to Exist feels limitless.

80
Dork

Cohesive, coherent and demanding of us an explanation, ‘For Those…’ shall not relent until wrongs have been righted, and being this righteous never sounded so good.

80
Metal Hammer

This is essentially a continuation of the stylistic approach of Holy Hell: a cleaner, vaster, stadium-sized version of what the band used to be.

70
The Line of Best Fit

It’s an album that has something to appeal to any ears, without compromising the true Architects’ signature – you just have to be open to it.

70
Exclaim!

Other than a few lapses, the hooks, synths and classical instruments effectively recontextualize Architects' musicianship. For Those That Wish to Exist proves these guys can successfully diversify their sound.

70
Classic Rock

The Brighton metalcore band turn their attention both outwards and inwards:  ferocious, barely contained rage directed towards global dysfunction and the looming, ever-increasing threats to mankind and the notion of personal responsibility, taking control of destiny.

60
Sputnikmusic

Essentially, this is an album aimed at everyone – which could explain why it’s so long and inconsistent – and while For Those That Wish to Exist is far from perfect, I do feel everyone can take some good things away from it.

60
The Guardian

Cobweb-blasting singing, brain-invading melodies and skin-scouring riffs offer no relief from this wrestling match with impending disaster.

CLJesse
30

Look at how they massacred my boy...

For years, I have been pretty dissatisfied with the state of mainstream metalcore. A lot of it is the same, awful, melodic sound that is over done (and has terrible hooks 99.9% of the time). Hidden within the shitstorm that is this scene however, there were always two bands I loved: Every Time I Die and Architects. The former for their infectiously lovable and fun personality (except for that song with Brendon Urie, that can go fuck itself) and Architects ... read more

Docky
30

Instagram Core Bands Nr 7

Yeah I'm doing Architects, y'know a band people actually know about and respect, I've been getting ads for these guys for a while and when I checked this out in the hopes it'd be good...well it was just too Instagram Core for me to not review in this series. You can't fool me with those 2 million monthly listeners you got on spotify this is just as formulaic generic and fake deep as it gets.

Aight so now let's get this out of the way, Flight Without Feathers is the ... read more

RemisReviews
85

You know what actually... I was DEAD wrong for putting this as the worst Architects album in my ranking vid. It just today clicked for me that it's FIRE!

This was probably one of my biggest and most drastic changes in score in any album. I had it at a 50 at first, and now I damn near almost love every song, how does that even happen? And it's crazy, it really just clicked for me today. I always loved Black Lungs, but the rest I really didn't. Now, I love almost every song it's actually ... read more

distortediolite
96

I'll defend this album forever, I think the hate for this album is incredibly undeserved. It's strange too because I do have problems with this album but most of the complaints I've heard boil down to "it's not Holy Hell", or "Fantano said its bad so I think its bad". My only complaint with this album is that it's less confident than the previous albums, I understand why that is as the main songwriter from the previous albums isn't here anymore, but still, the vocal delivery ... read more

TobuTobs
34

Architects downward spiral continues on this with everything I personally loved about them being thrown away and watered down to be just another BMTH clone.
The singing on here is terrible and compressed and it sends chills down my spine for all the wrong reasons.
Ita trying waaaay too hard to be something gigantic and meaningful when it really is not.

Hoozy
45

I’m finally giving this album a listen after actively avoiding it since its release, and what the heck happened?

My biggest gripe with “FTTWTE” is how generic it sounds. Architects laid the groundwork for modern metalcore with their previous two albums, then completely abandon it to sound like every other band in the genre. That alone made me disappointed.

But what is the deal with Sam’s voice? He sounds different enough that I don’t like it and it ruins a number ... read more

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Year End Lists

#3/Kerrang!
#6/Punktastic
#12/Revolver
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Added on: October 21, 2020