Following on from
Revenge, the Architects build another themed album, although
Vice isn't really what the set revolves around. Instead, the songs delve into tough times and hard living, seen through the eyes of underdog characters who invariably find themselves at the pointy end of society's stick and suffer the consequences. The tales are gritty, hard-bitten, and crime-ridden, and although set in contemporary times, they often evoke the potboiler Hollywood crime flicks of the '40s and '50s. The music, however, is thoroughly contemporary, a simmering mix of rock, punk, and post-punk. "Hard Times" collides styles together, the drony goth rock guitar edged out by the classic rock lead licks, while the chorus punches its fist into anthemic arena rock. The infectious "Daddy Wore Black," in contrast, combines
Who-ish power chords with
Cheap Tricky pop/rock to great effect. The Architects don't always cross their genres. The stomping good-time rock & roll of "New Boots & Truncheons" is pure classic rock at its anthemic best and the blistering "Cold Hard Facts" is a headbanger in an
AC/DC mold, while the sizzling "Jersey Shore" dives into metal and "Continental" storms into hard rock fueled by guitar solos that ape a wailing harmonica. At the punk end of the spectrum, "Help" takes inspiration from both the old school and the new school and "Mrs. Doyle" crosses melodic punk with a touch of rockabilly, while "Drop in the Bucket" is built around an angular post-punk bassline but boasts an anthemic new-school chorus. "Pills" makes a nonsense of such distinctions, perfectly poised as it is on the thin line between punk and rock. Hard-driving, hard-drinking, but reeking of strong melodies and infectious choruses, this is one vice listeners will have no desire to kick. ~ Jo-Ann Greene