Ruin (album)

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Ruin is the second studio album by British metalcore band Architects. It was released on 25 October 2007 through United by Fate, Distort, and Century Media Records. The album was produced by John Mitchell, Ben Humphreys, and the band, and it is the first Architects album to feature vocalist Sam Carter and bassist Alex Dean.

Sound and style
Ruin marks a slight shift in Architects’ sound, moving toward a darker, more fluid metalcore style. Cleaner vocals appear in some tracks, more than on their previous album Nightmares, but not as prominently as in later releases. The guitar tuning changes from drop C to drop B for most tracks (with the track “Low” using a similar tuning but with the low B tuned to F#).

Track listing
- Buried at Sea
- Hunt Them Down
- You'll Find Safety
- Always
- Sail This Ship Alone (instrumental)
- Heartless
- North Lane
- I Can't See the Light
- Low
- Running from the Sun
- Save Me

2008 re-release bonus track: "Broken Clocks" (featuring Nick Worthington of Dead Swans)
Total length: 43:05

Overview and reception
All lyrics on Ruin were written by Sam Carter, with music by Architects. The album reached number 36 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. It helped establish the new lineup and set the stage for the band’s later, heavier and more complex releases.

Personnel
- Sam Carter – lead vocals
- Tom Searle – lead guitar, keyboards, programming
- Tim Hillier-Brook – rhythm guitar
- Alex "Ali" Dean – bass
- Dan Searle – drums, percussion, programming
- Nick Worthington – guest vocals on the bonus track
- Architects – production
- John Mitchell – production, engineering, mixing
- Ben Humphreys – production, engineering
- Tim Turan – mastering
- Seldon Hunt – artwork

Ruin sits between Nightmares (2006) and Hollow Crown (2009) in Architects’ discography, and is notable for introducing Sam Carter as the vocalist while continuing the band’s characteristic heavy, melodic metalcore.