"Doomsday" is a song by British

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

band

Architects An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. Originally released as a standalone

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

on 7 September 2017, the song is included in the band's eighth studio album '' Holy Hell'', released on 9 November 2018. It was the first new material recorded by the group since the death of their original lead guitarist and primary songwriter Tom Searle in 2016. The track was written and self-produced by the band, with additional production from

Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon (often abbreviated as BMTH) are a British rock band formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group consists of lead vocalist Oliver Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Matt Nicholls and keyboardist Jordan Fis ...

keyboardist Jordan Fish. "Doomsday" charted at number 17 on the

UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. The ...

Composition and lyrics

"Doomsday" evolved from a song that was originally part-written by former Architects lead guitarist Tom Searle during sessions for the band's seventh album ''

All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us ''All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us'' is the seventh studio album by British metalcore band Architects. It was released on 27 May 2016 globally through Epitaph Records; with the exception of UNFD in Australia and New Damage in Canada. The album pea ...

''. Following the guitarist's death on 20 August 2016, his brother Dan (the group's drummer) completed the song's lyrics in preparation for its release. The track was ultimately credited to Architects as a collective. Searle commented upon its release that "Completing it for him was a massive responsibility". The lyrical themes within "Doomsday" have been related to Searle's death by critics, especially lines such as "they say the good die young". Writing for ''

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...

'', Tom Connick explained that the song "is about an'sconflicted feelings regarding the loss, and is a marker of Architects' poise in the face of extreme sadness".

Promotion and release

"Doomsday" was released on 6 September 2017 as the first new Architects material since Tom Searle's death. It was made available as a digital download the following day. The song was not specifically recorded for a new studio album, although Dan Searle did suggest upon its release that it would feature on their next record. The track charted at number 17 on the

. The band played the song live for the first time for

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's "Radio 1 Rocks" show on 31 October. Three months after the song's digital release, "Doomsday" was issued as a

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on 8 December 2017, limited to 1,000 copies. In July 2018, the band released an alternate version of "Doomsday", featuring James Beckwith on piano. Speaking about the "acoustic piano ballad", Searle suggested that the song "needed a rendition that exposed the sadness behind the lyrics", which he claimed vocalist Sam Carter delivered "beautifully". In December 2018, the WWE announced that the song would be featured as one of the themes of their NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool event.

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Doomsday" was directed by Stuart Birchall, who had previously worked on a number of other videos for the band, most recently for ''All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us'' lead single "A Match Made in Heaven" in 2016. According to Zoe Camp of ''

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'' magazine, it "finds the band members tearing through the song against a starry backdrop, performing so intensely that, at times, they appear to break apart themselves". ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' columnist Eleanor Goodman described it as "a moving video featuring Tom's twin brother, drummer Dan, suspended in the expanse of the universe".

Critical reception

"Doomsday" was met with acclaim from music critics. Kerrang! Radio described the song as "a goosebump-inducing anthem of the highest calibre". Scott Munro of ''Metal Hammer'' called it "blistering", while Eleanor Goodman of the same publication dubbed it "honest" and "beautiful". Brii Jamieson of music magazine ''

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'' described the song's piano reprise as "an emotional rollercoaster". '' Clash'' writer Robin Murray called it "simple, sparse, and really rather beautiful", praising Sam Carter's "rather special" vocal performance. Kelsey Shawgo of '' Alternative Press'' described "Doomsday" as "powerful" and called it "a banger".

Personnel

Architects * Sam Carter –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

* Josh Middleton –

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

, backing vocals, production * Adam Christianson –

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

, production * Alex "Ali" Dean –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, keyboards, drum pad, production * Dan Searle –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

, percussion, programming, production Additional personnel * Jordan Fish – additional production * Adam "Nolly" Getgood –

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, mixing * Ermin Hamidovic – mastering

Charts

References

External links

"Doomsday"
music video on

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