• Sat. Nov 2nd, 2024

Architects w/ Brutus & We Came as Romans. 
The Theater at Virgin Hotel, Las Vegas.
October 9, 2024

Closing out their 2024 North American tour cycle, British metalcore act ARCHITECTS made Las Vegas their final stop, this was actually a show added because of the demand, so that’s all the better for us fans of the genre. Opening up the show for us on this run were Brutus coming all the way from Belgium, and hailing from Michigan, We Came as Romans.

Brutus

I admittedly had never heard of Brutus before, but I’m really glad I got to the venue early to see them! Brutus are a very high intensity atmospheric three piece. Their drummer is also the vocalist, and goddamn. Her vocals are hauntingly beautiful. I was very impressed by them. The lights stayed relatively low during their set, and the energy just seemed to build and build. They’re not exactly what I’d expect on a tour like this, but I do think they set the tone just right. I hope to see these three do big things in the future! They’ve definitely got the chops for it. 

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We Came as Romans

I missed We Came as Romans the last time they were here in Vegas for night two of The Ghost Inside’s Re Birthday bash, (though I did cover the first day of that two night craziness). The last time I saw them before this was their opening set on the Motionless in White “Trick R Treat” tour back in 2019. You should be happy to hear that since that night I added more of their music to my metalcore playlist and I am much more familiar with their catalog now. The contrast of positive lyrical themes + growling guttural screams always makes me pretty happy.

This band is one that really, really knows how to keep the energy high as can be. All the members could be seen running back and forth and jumping around erratically. A very excited crowd kept returning that energy back to the band. Excitement all around the room could be heard and felt.

All this band has gone through the last decade, they’re one that stands the test of time and I’ll continue to look forward to what they have in store.

Setlist:

  1. Darkbloom
  2. Doublespeak
  3. Wasted Age
  4. Cold Like War
  5. Plagued
  6. Lost in the Moment
  7. Hope
  8. Black Hole
  9. Daggers
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Architects

I had never seen Architects before tonight, not that I can remember, anyway. Though I do have a framed signed poster in my hallway from the 2008 Cleansing the Nation tour with Suicide Silence headlining, and Emmure, Beneath the Massacre, After the Burial, and Architects as the openers. I had acquired that poster via a good friend, and I don’t think it came to Vegas that year, but as I’ve mentioned countless times before in previous writings, that general time frame has become fuzzy. Many reckless nights of my teen years, more shows than my mind can properly recall. I practically lived in those local venues that hosted much of the metalcore/deathcore genres back in 2008-2010, though. So it is quite possible that I had seen these guys in the earlier years. But like I said… fuzzy memory. Essentially, I was coming into this set with a fresh set of eyes and ears. 

I’ll admit that I was a bit worried about the turnout for this show. The venue wasn’t packed, and I didn’t even start to see a more full crowd until We Came as Romans came on. (I sometimes blame this on weekday shows in general, and people just not wanting to, or are unable to come out. It’s something I’ve seen over and over in this city. Sometimes this market is just weird.) By the time it was Architects time to take the stage, the crowd finally peaked. And despite the pockets of space scattered throughout the Virgin Theater floor, there was still a good amount of energy and happy fans could be seen all over. I like to call this “condensed energy.” Where there may not be a shit ton of people around, but the overall vibes rang pretty high the entire night. High enough to fill this very large room.

Architects came out with a very impressive stage set up. The drummer, bass player, and keyboard player were up on an ultra high platform, and that platform had a screen that lit up with various types of imagery and text throughout their set. That screen literally LIT UP the whole stage and created some really cool backlight imagery. 

Through all my digging around on the interwebs, it looks like it’s been a good decade since Architects performed in Las Vegas. I had only heard random stories through the years that were rather irrelevant to me personally. But because it’s been so long, when vocalist Sam Carter asked who had seen them live before, and who hadn’t, there was a much bigger roar and show of hands for the fans that were seeing Architects for the first time.This is not too surprising, a decade can easily spit out hundreds of new kids and fans into these kinds of scenes. 

Architects performed a good variety of songs from the last few releases, opening with “Seeing Red”, which is a stand alone single with a catchy chorus and brutal chugs and screams, followed by “Giving Blood” from 2021’s For Those That Wish to Exist record, and then relentlessly leading into “Deep Fake” from 2022’s The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit. Those were the songs I got to enjoy while doing my thing in the photo pit. I have to point out how raw and raspy Sam’s vocals are in a live setting. They’re so much different from what I hear on recordings. Definitely not complaining. There’s something very intense about those two elements. With all the other elements provided by Dan Searl (drums), Alex Dean (bass) and Adam Christianson (guitar), I get this almost Converge-esq vibe, only more melodic than that brand of hardcore. 

Architects closed out their set with 2 encore songs. “Nihilist” off of 2016’s All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us and “Animals”, another track from 2021’s For Those That Wish to Exist. Overall, I thoroughly was pleased by this evening’s music, energy, and overall atmosphere. I look forward to what Architects have in store for the future and I hope they are able to return to the City of Sin for another run! But…maybe sooner than a decade. That would be cool. 

Architects, We Came As Romans and Brutus are slated to play the Aftershock and Mayhem festivals this week in Californa, if you’re interested in catching them before festival season comes to an end!

Until next time..

Setlist:

  1. Seeing Red
  2. Giving Blood
  3. Deep Fake
  4. Impermanence
  5. Black Lungs
  6. These Colours Don’t Run
  7. A New Moral Low Ground
  8. Hereafter
  9. Curse
  10. Royal Beggars
  11. Doomsday
  12. Meteor
  13. When We Were Young
    Encore:
  14. Nihilist
  15. Animals
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Photo Credit: Live photos by Courtney Ware for ZrockR Magazine (c) 2024 – All Rights Reserved.

By Courtney Ware

Lead photographer, art director, editor, and writer. Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. Avid music lover, but favorites include thrash metal, deathcore, metalcore, and post hardcore. - Photography is my passion, and I've carried cameras around for as long as I can remember. I endlessly strive for the constant growth and capabilities this medium can offer. Nothing makes me happier than capturing emotions that I see, and sharing my knowledge in how I did it. - I have an undying love for my local music scene, having been a part of it since my teens.

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