Photos + Review: Architects @ The Fillmore (Minneapolis, MN)

Architects (Brighton, England), Erra (Birmingham, Alabama), Holywatr (Los Angeles, CA)
August 11th, 2025
The Fillmore in Minneapolis, MN

I went to see the band Architects and all I got was whiplash.

I’ve started a new tradition for myself where whenever I go on a vacation, my flight ritual will be to pick an album I haven’t heard before, and that’s what I listen to, as well as during the trip itself. Whenever I’m wanting to relive a certain trip, I just pop on that record and it helps bring back feelings and memories. My annual March trip to Chicago’s playlist was this new Architects album. Boy was it a good one.

There was a rough patch for me with the band over the last few years, following the releases of their albums “For Those Who Wish to Exist” and “The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit.” I was disappointed in them because they weren’t up to par with what I expected after “Holy Hell” and “All our Gods have Abandoned Us,” and seems to be they were taking the easy way out. With the band’s new album this year, “The Sky, The Earth & In between,” I was reeled back in.

“The Sky, The Earth & In between” isn’t as good as the two I loved last decade, but it was a damn fine record. It’s fun, and Sam Carter very clearly took his singing and screaming abilities to a way higher level.

2018 was the last time I had seen Architects live, on one of the snowiest days of winter, and 7 years later I still dreamt of going back. I was stoked when a new date here was announced at The Fillmore, and the Architects show I got to see earlier this week is absolutely one of the best I’ve seen this year.

As impressed as I was with Sam’s vocals on the new record, I was just as impressed with his live chops, if not more. The man has clearly put in some work, as there’s no way a 2018 Sam Carter would have hit the high notes in “Elegy,” and “Blackhole,” but he nailed them. His screams sound as ferocious as ever, and I absolutely don’t get how he’s able to do that so well, so consistently, for so long. You could argue he’s even better now with the addition of his low growls. It’s bonkers.

Because I’ve been following the band for so long, I was a bit bummed that there were only two old songs played this night. And by old, I mean from Holy Hell. Nothing else was played before that album, except a snippet of Gone with the Wind. A good snippet, but still. I was most bummed by “Nihilist” being left off the setlist. One of my favorite live memories is of seeing that song open the Live at Royal Albert Hall live stream the band put on during COVID. That’s the song I would point to, no hesitation, if anybody would ask for the heaviest song ever. It’s chaos whenever that song comes on.

“Elegy,” my favorite of the new record, hit as hard as I was hoping. In fact, surprising to me, all of the newest songs hit the hardest. What was surprised was how hard in comparison to the two “old” songs, “Royal Beggars” and “Doomsday”. “Royal Beggars” was one of the songs I was looking forward to most, and was happiest to see again. Sam and the whole band killed it, but the crowd didn’t seem much there. Stark contrast to a little bit later seeing and hearing the crowd go crazy for “Seeing Red” and “Animals.”

I guess I may have grown out of the main demographic of what crowds go to Architects shows these days, and that’s okay. I’m happy that the band seems to have hit a new stride and is playing bigger and better venues in the states than what I’ve experiences. After all, I do often say that when it comes to my favorite bands, I’d rather go to a live show that has a majority of newer songs in its setlist. It’s all good, I’m excited for whenever the next tour is.