Ex-Sound Of Contact bandmates reunite.

When Simon Collins and guitarist Kelly Nordstrom joined forces for Sound Of Contact’s only record in 2013, their chemistry was magic. Many have longed for a follow-up, and while this is far from the same aesthetic, it shows just how well-suited for one another the pair are. Far more freewheeling, and with no external influences muddying their waters, The Architect can shine as the ambitious and immersive concept record that it is.

Written and recorded in Collins’ home studio in Ireland, its story centres around the science of emotion. It also explores what these two musicians can offer each other, with Nordstrom’s abrasive but intelligent prog metal and Collins’ penchant for vocal hooks and electronic soundscapes colliding, resulting in a compelling progressive metal record peppered with futuristic effects and euphoric crescendos.

As if to hammer home its metallic ferocity, opener eMolecule sets the scene with clanging, syncopated rhythms. They nestle alongside foreboding, ever-rising passages that journey towards a patience-rewarding climax that will no doubt draw comparisons to Tool but deserves more than that; the song has a lot to offer and introduces what is a dynamic and ballsy record in style. Much of the album entails slow, dramatic builds; as with Mastermind, which threateningly rumbles towards brighter, catchier pastures. Even the more immediate Prison Planet stays teasingly in third gear until its explosive finale of tribal drums and squealing guitars.

Yet, for every hard-hitting moment the record provides, there’s tenderness too and Awaken may just be one of the finest songs Collins has ever produced. A lusciously performed track about self-discovery, it feels like a journey unto itself as it floats through zero gravity, with Collins sounding beautifully pensive. It kick-starts the record’s strongest trio of songs. Beyond Belief centres on another stellar sing-along chorus but is flanked by expansive musicality and moments that could have been penned for a dark and dreary alien-shooting video game. Those aesthetics help darken their textures to make the light of the chorus blindingly bright, before The Universal marries

90s dance keyboards with industrial clangour and a stunning Eastern-flavoured guitar solo. The latter stands as Nordstrom’s crowning moment.

They both have a lot to offer on The Architect; it sounds like nothing either has done before, its well-paced storytelling flaunting their individual and collective talents in a brand new light. Collins has said this band is in it for the long haul, and with a debut this commendable, it’s clear to see why.

A COMPELLING PROG METAL RECORD PEPPERED WITH DIGITAL EFFECTS.