As a Ukrainian American, I do love checking out bands from Ukraine. The latest one for me is Starchitect. The name is rather misleading as it sounds very neo-prog but Starchitect have more in common with Converge and Textures than Yes or Pink Floyd.

Musically, the band is incredible. They play a very oft-kilter riff heavy sound that varies between whatever time signature they prefer. They also can be quite melodic when they wish. “Minaria” is a perfect example of everything they are capable of musically.

BUT. The vocals. Once again, great music is sabotaged by less than great vocals. I love harsh vocals but the problem here is that there’s no variance to them. Screaming at the same volume and the same note just isn’t good. There are some tracks, like the epic title track that closes the album, where the vocals come in late and I find myself cringing because everything was awesome BEFORE the vocals started.

There’s no questioning that Starchitect are great musicians who not only can play but write some insanely amazing riffs. My only hope would be that either they become an instrumental band or the vocals evolve into something like that of Textures. The music has incredible dynamics and the vocals NEED to do the same.

Rating: 7.5/10

Tracklist:
1. Null
2. Black Circle
3. Reuse
4. Minaria
5. Ltwo
6. Tensions
7. Wastewater
8. Mila
9. TTT
10. Interlocutor
11. Results

Bandcamp: starchitect.bandcamp.com