Perhaps it is only fitting that the product of such chaos is The Architects of Guilt.  With a blistering tempo, it’s a frantic race to the finish.  Besides the obvious equipment and personnel changes, the album is an eclectic mix of musical emphasis.  “Ad Mortem” sticks out for its end solo, “The Crown and the Holy See” emphasizes tempo changes, keeping you guessing what is next, while “Pyrithion House” is pure power groove.  The last track, “To the Teeth”, dials down the speed a notch.  The noticeable reduction in speed makes it the only song that can truly be considered slow.  The heavy isolated guitar grooves allow you to appreciate the distortion.

However, the same can’t be said for the rest of their tracks.  The latest work preserves their debut’s drawbacks: too fast, too furious, too frequently.  Speed takes precedence over melody, repetition over mixing it up, and while the effort in the shrieking and screaming would make any headbanger proud, the new vocals are certainly not an upgrade and still fall short of the instrumental components.  The Famine seem like they’re trying too hard to impress. The Architects of Guilt needs a bit of buildup and anticipation before blasting full-throttle. CONOR MYHRVOLD