Eidola: The Architect Review

Blue Swan Records’ progressive math rock storytelling masterminds Eidola released their newest full-length “The Architect” on September 17th, 2021, and was the fourth full-length from the band, and even featured an interesting guest vocal as well as being the first release from the band while signed to the now Rise-partnered Blue Swan Records. Below, we’ve gone into detail on the most recent release from Eidola, “The Architect” with our review of the progressive, smooth, and surprising full-length.

Hidden Worship

“Hidden Worship”, the introductory track to Eidola’s newest full-length “The Architect” started off slow with a light guitar and drums quietly leading in with vocals that sounded a whole lot like Brand New, a band that likely didn’t inspire Eidola and that theory was easily confirmed as “Hidden Worship” continued to lead into something slightly more abstract but known to any fan of Eidola.

Counterfeit Shrines

With the last few seconds of “Hidden Worship”, we’re led directly into “Counterfeit Shrines” seamlessly, which may be scarce with most musical acts today but Eidola has always been heavily melodic and well-constructed. “Counterfeit Shrines” was the first, and lead, single from “The Architect” as it was their first song in more than four years, and was followed by three more single-worthy tracks.

Caustic Prayer

“Caustic Prayer” was very inviting right from the start with its fast drums and guitars coming in together once the song allowed a chance, which was once the song started. The song remains fast all the way through layered with smooth vocals and the drums mentioned earlier almost seem to work through the entire song as even as the vocals start to lower the drums could be heard at full power making use of all that’s in front of Matthew Hansen.

Empty Gardens

“Empty Gardens” from beginning to end was possibly the most aggressive song on “The Architect” so far, at least from the first half of Eidola “The Architect” for our review, but as “The Architect” featured most of its singles as the first half of the album, excluding the Jon Mess feature, it’s was no surprise the first half of the album was possibly the most interesting at this point in our Eidola “The Architect” review.

Occam’s Razor

Compared to “Empty Gardens”, which at this point, was already referred to as possibly the heaviest, and most aggressive song on “The Architect” so far, led straight into the slow, interlude style track “Occam’s Razor”. Although not the shortest song presented on “The Architect”, Eidola told a short and interesting story with one of their most broken down tracks to date.

Perennial Philosophy

“Perennial Philosophy” was a clear case that Eidola had evolved their sound, and production, as you could not only hear a clearer sound from the band in general from their own individual performances but also from the overall production value heard throughout the album but highlighted here, especially with a slight evolution in sound from the band as a whole. The song holds an overall tone that didn’t necessarily scream as the loudest, or strongest, song but it was interesting as a stand-alone listen to truly notice the progression the band has shown from album to album.

Forgotten Tongues

Once again, “Forgotten Tongues” brought on the same aggressive noteworthy style shown earlier on “The Architect”, but the track featured more smooth vocals to break the heavier vocals up but the song around the vocals never let up as every individual artist’s performance remained strong throughout. Unfortunately, at this point in our Eidola “The Architect” review, it felt as though the album was the least conceptual, or at least felt the least like a single contained atmosphere to truly call itself a concept album, yet Eidola has this strong ability to tell a story with each note, lyrics, and groove.

Unequivocal Nature

“Unequivocal Nature” further secured the fast, aggressive, but ever-changing styles presented throughout “The Architect” earlier in our review of the newest full-length from Eidola that with each track has held up against every previous Eidola record.

Alchemist Ascendant

Another interlude style track, “Alchemist Ascendant” was the shortest song on “The Architect” as it came in almost 30 seconds shorter than the previous interlude style track, “Occam’s Razor”. Although an interlude, and a short one, the track helped make “The Architect” feel like not just a more classic album from Eidola but also helped pull a conceptual feel to the album that I had earlier stated felt absent. Longtime fans of Eidola may recognize words from Eidola’s previous releases present throughout the album from “The Alchemist and the Architect” on the band’s first, self-released, album The Great Glass Elephant”.

Elephant Bones

As stated above “Alchemist Ascendant” brought the conceptual feeling to “The Architect”, which was previously unheard in this Eidola review up to that point, and with the conceptual feeling strong, “Elephant Bones” was quite smoothly brought into play from the toned-down sounds coming off the tail end of “Alchemist Ascendant”. However smooth or decadent the sounds or feeling brought upon by the transition from the previous song to “Elephant Bones”, by 30 seconds through the track took an interesting jump as the core elements that compose Eidola and their experimentation started to kick up and come back to life.

Mutual Fear

“Mutual Fear”, before even listening, was immediately a standout track among fans of Eidola and those that wandered their way from being a fan of Dance Gavin Dance as the track featured a Dance Gavin Dance vocalist, Jon Mess. Outside of the expected uniqueness that would come with a vocal appearance of Jon Mess, the song immediately started with intense vocals and wasn’t long-lasting but the hype brought upon through it remained vibrant throughout the entire track. Even as “Mutal Fear” progressed it clearly became a contender for not only the best or even most interesting song on “The Architect” but as the most consistently attention-grabbing as it brought an aggressiveness that was more reminiscent of Eidola’s earliest releases, which will always be refreshing and welcomed.

Ancient Temperament

While overall there was a strong theme that could be felt through all of Eidola’s “The Architect” for our review of the fourth full-length from the band, the conceptual feeling never truly connected entirely throughout but as it was never pushed as such, that brought the album to yet another highly positive and entirely unique album from the experimental outfit.