Review
The Famine
The Architects Of Guilt

The Famine are certainly not a new band per se. They contain overly experienced members of the band Emboyment. While Their previous band seems largely forgotten The Famine have set out to make a name for themselves far beyond their previous band and christian metal itself. The Famine have also changed since their last album 3 years ago. Replacing members is a normal thing most times but replacing a vocalist is generally not done.
So what we have is sort of the return of the band. Some things haven't changed. There is a strong attention to structure and design within the songs with very little space for "experimentation". On the other had new vocalist Nick (former bassist) has a rather distinct style going to great lengths to enunciate each word down to the syllable. This seems like a rarity in modern metal and is rather appreciated as one can grasp the lyrical content without getting lost in the vocal style itself. Everything else is well done just the same The bass bleeds in the mix making for a decent albeit only slightly existent low end. The drums are loud and pounding. Most of all the drums sound triggered to the point that you can almost hear the clicking in the background. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing it does take much of the humanity away from the drumming.
The production is nearly immaculate. Everything in it's place (except the bass) sliding into the mix. The riffs themselves are very heavy grinding along and the making room for a divebomb or short lead from time to time. The guitar work is strong but not exceptional as they never feel like they really take charge of any of the songs. This seems to be a big downfall especially on a metal record. Everything flows well together but sadly, nothing really stands out.
The Famine overcame some lofty odds to make this record. That is certainly to be commended. Unfortunately they still have a ways to go to truly stand out above the pack. As it stands they are a strong contender in their field. If you enjoy your metal with a focus on grinding riffs and well enunciated vocals then this may be for you. Hopefully next time the band really break out of their stylistic rut and break some new ground.