Architects have been knocked down and rebuilt — only to come back stronger every time.
Since forming in 2004, the English band has undergone one of modern metalcore’s most intense evolutions — rising from punk kids playing breakdowns in Brighton to becoming a global force that’s opened for Metallica and headlined Bloodstock Open Air.
In 2016, Architects hit their then apex with their seventh album, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, only to suffer the devastating loss of co-founding guitarist and principal songwriter Tom Searle to skin cancer. To honor their bandmate’s memory, they got back on their feet and channeled their anguish into Holy Hell — an album that was both catharsis and tribute, solidifying the group’s resilience.
Instead of staying in one place, Architects pushed themselves to the next level on 2021’s For Those That Wish to Exist, which earned the band their first No. 1 on the U.K. Album Charts. The following year they released the classic symptoms of a broken spirit. It was a solid next installment, but one that didn’t quite reach the widespread acclaim of its predecessor.
“For Those That Wish to Exist was executed pretty well and I’m very proud of that one,” says longtime vocalist Sam Carter. “With the classic symptoms of a broken spirit, we didn’t do anything different in terms of how we wrote or what we were writing — but we just didn’t hit it right. I think it’s OK to have that after however many albums. You can’t always smash it and have it be successful. But the funny thing is, we feel that. And it’s what spurred us on to create this new album and make it as good as we possibly could.”
That new album, The Sky, the Earth & All Between, is proof that Architects are still hungry, still evolving — and, arguably, making some of the best music of their career. But creating it required the band to once again dig deep and face some tough questions.
After guitarist Josh Middleton’s departure in May 2023, Carter and drummer Dan Searle had to reassess the band’s future. A month later, they crossed paths with producer Jordan Fish — then still in Bring Me the Horizon — backstage at Germany’s Rock am Ring festival. The conversation proved pivotal.
“We had this big chat with him, like, ‘What would you do next? Be honest? Where would you take it? What are we doing right, what are we doing wrong? Lay it on us.’” Fish offered constructive feedback about varying the energy and color of their sound. When he left BMTH later that year, the path was cleared for a full collaboration. “I feel like he thought he had something to prove coming out of that situation — and we had something to prove to ourselves. So, it worked,” reflects Carter.
The resulting The Sky, the Earth & All Between is a remarkable 11th album that confronts previous criticisms head-on. Opening track “Elegy” sets the tone immediately, with Carter calling out doubters while the band deliver their grittiest work in years. The record features exhilarating collaborations with electro-punk duo House of Protection (“Brain Dead”) and nu-metal revivalist Amira Elfeky (“Judgement Day”). Fish’s production helps Architects reach their signature heaviness while pushing into new territory — finally finding the sweet spot between accessibility and aggression that had been eluding them.
With this being arguably Architects’ greatest album yet, we sat down with Carter for our Greatest Interview Ever series. The highs, the lows, the funniest failures — nothing was off-limits.
What is the greatest song you’ve ever written?
SAM CARTER I think “Animals” is probably up there. “Blackhole” is pretty fun. It’s a pretty outrageous song. But I think “Elegy” [from The Sky, the Earth & All Between] is maybe my favorite song, vocally, that I’ve ever recorded and written. We were halfway through the album when we started on that one. We went in with the goal of, “Let’s write the best Architects intro ever.”
We knew it needed to be really good, especially with how people listen to music these days. Sometimes if the first track is an intro, you’re like, “Oh fuck this, I’m going straight into the song.” Once we got the first chorus going into the fast part, it felt like, Wow, this song takes you on this journey and then you get slapped in the face. The riff was crazy, and it felt like a real Architects moment, looking back on our All Our Gods era with that kind of riff.
What’s the worst song you’ve ever written?
I will say “Heartburn” off The Here and Now. That was on our fourth album when I was like 19, 20 at that time, and we just tried to write a real sad-acoustic-boy number and it just missed.
That [album] was with [producer] Steve Evetts. He didn’t allow any editing or any tuning or anything — so that record kind of made me a good singer. So even if parts of it stink, at least it sort of taught me to be a better vocalist.
What is the song you’re proudest of?
“Doomsday,” [from Holy Hell]. Coming out of losing our brother [Tom Searle] and just being fucked — notknowing what we were going to do with the band because he was our main songwriter— to then working as hard as we could to create this song, it felt like magicin a really dark time. It was something we needed to help carry us through.
As much as the song was there for other people, for us, it was nice having a song we performed every night that was so relatable to that moment. Obviously, you still think about Tommy. But on those first couple tours, it felt very emotional and draining — but also cathartic because it was so relevant. It showed that we were going to be OK.
For a bit it wasn’t even a thought: We were just being there for each other and [for his brother] Dan [Searle’s] family. Then after a bit you’re like, “What the fuck am I going to do with my life?” And you pull together and make something. It shows that teamwork and love can get you there if you truly want it.
What is the most overlooked song in your catalog?
“Dying Is Absolutely Safe” [from For Those That Wish to Exist]. We’d gone through Holy Hell.
We’d gone through the trauma and pain, which was still there but wasn’t quite as raw, and it was almost talking about what we learned from what happened. Great lyrics from Dan, and the song title is just very thought-provoking. I think that one got overlooked. We’ve never played it live. It was really a special song. Again, quite heavy, emotionally, linking into what was going on.
What’s the craziest fan gift you’ve ever received?
I got this amazing pastel drawing of one of my dogs. They gave it to me in a tube saying, “Please take care of it. It’s one of one.” Our crew member was like, “Don’t crush this.” I carried it around the whole tour thinking, What is this fucking thing? Got home, opened it up and I was stunned. I framed it and have it in my house. But I don’t know who did it — no email, no Instagram handle, nothing. They just put their time into it and didn’t want anything for it. I would’ve probably paid for it if they’d asked.
What is the greatest album from another artist that you didn’t like at first but came to love?
Disintegration by the Cure. Thefirst time I heard it I got a lot of the Cure records at the same time. When I was younger, this record store we had in the U.K. called HMV did this thing where they put out classic albums for a fiver. I used to save up my money from my paper round and go and buy a couple of classic records a week.
I remember with Disintegration I was like, “This is just a bit out there for me.” But as I’ve got older, it’s become one of my favorites. And it’s probably one of the most influential ones for other people in bands. It’s amazing how long the Cure have been doing it. And they just brought out another record recently [Songs of a Lost World], which is amazing. Robert Smith still sounds exactly the same.
He fucking gives a shit as well. Robert Smith is so in on everything, musically. I listened to an interview that he did with my friend Daniel P. Carter that works at Radio 1. And Dan messaged me being like, “Robert Smith knew who you were because Architects were Track of the Week the week before.” And [Robert] was like, “Oh yeah, I listened to that song, it was your Track of the Week last week.” And my friend Dan was like, “Did you listen to the show?” He was like, “Yeah, every week.” That is so cool, like still being that invested in music and caring as much as he does shows why the Cure are still so good.
What has been your greatest success so far?
I think still being here. Still caring and still having the energy and the fight and the will to want to be better as a person, as someone in a band and as a band. To still be here and still be having conversations with people that care about the band, to be sat here and be able to have it as my job. That’s all I ever wanted as a kid, and that was kind of all I could do, really.
I’m not the most intelligent person in the world. But I really cared about this and had a real passion about it — and it feels crazy to me that this is my job, and this is what I do. That is never lost on me, no matter how big the band gets or whatever crazy stuff we get up to. I am eternally grateful that this is my life, and I want to constantly try and repay people for that by creating the best music we possibly can.
Who knows how long this will last? It’s already lasted and done so much more than I ever thought it would. But to be on our 11th album and us having the best time is just fucking crazy. We never blew up. It never went, like, the album comes out and overnight we’re fucking massive. It’s just been slow and steady — always getting a little bit bigger. And slowly more opportunities come and, you know, we go through the hard times and then come out the other side. Just to still be here is crazy. But for it to be bigger than ever — and still finding time and room to grow — it’s fucking mad.
What is your biggest regret?
I don’t have many regrets. I [try to] live in the moment. I’ve been sober for nearly two years now, and there are definitely some shows I wish I could go back and enjoy without alcohol, just to feel them more. But I don’t even know if I’d change that — it kind of always made for a good show, at least for me.
What is the greatest live band you’ve ever seen?
Queens of the Stone Age. Every time I see Queens of the Stone Age, I am just blown away by how brilliant they sound. I saw them do Rock am Ring… I’m trying to remember which album it was that they were on. It was on one of the newer albums — I say newer albums, [but] it’s probably like 10 years ago now. But they played “I Sat By the Ocean.”
I watched a lot of it from the side of the stage as well. I was watching Jon Theodore play drums, just being the fucking man that he is. Just a groovy band. Josh Homme is such a cool frontman, and person, and you can tell that he’s just so rock & roll. He’s fucking scary as well. You know, he’s got that intimidating energy about him. You never know which way the show is going to go or what’s going to happen. He’s got that dangerous vibe.
What’s the most “rock star” thing you’ve ever purchased?
Probably my house. But I also love vintage clothes. I’ve got a George Harrison jacket and a Paul McCartney jacket from the Seventies. The McCartney one’s from when he was touring Japan and got arrested for weed. It’s a tour jacket that never got [worn] because the tour was cancelled when he got put in prison.
What is the most starstruck you’ve ever been?
At Abbey Road Studios for Mary McCartney’s documentary release, If These Walls Could Sing.
The room was full of my heroes: Elton John, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, the Hollies, members of Pink Floyd, some Spice Girls. Paul McCartney came over, said hello, shook our hands, had a joke around. The Beatles are my favorite band ever and he was just so nice and genuine.
What’s the most memorable show you’ve ever played?
We played a show at the Roundhouse in London on Lost Forever, and that was, I think, the first time I was like, “I can’t believe this is happening.” It was like 3,000 people, never thought that we would do that. Tom was there, kind of like his last London show, [and he] got to see the fruits of all of our labor and all the hard work that we put in for so many years up to that point.
What has been the worst show you’ve ever played?
I think it was in Alberta, Canada — or maybe Prince Edward Island. We played to literally about 10 people and we got absolutely fucking hammered. We were in the crowd. I was sat on Dan’s kick drum. It was a pretty fucking low point, and at the end of the show we took a photo with the crowd. You know how bands do it when they have a massive crowd behind them? We did it with 10 people. [Laughs]
And then the people from that town were sending us death threats — saying we’d disrespected their scene, and, you know, how could we do this to them? And we just found it very funny. But yeah, it’s one of the worst shows, but I do look back on it very fondly, actually. Those were the fucking times. In the back of the van driving through fucking Canada, playing to nobody and disrespecting a scene. [Laughs] It was good stuff.
What has been your most embarrassing onstage moment?
Twice now I’ve stood on my mic stand and it’s smashed me in the face. I came off the riser and grabbed my mic and just stood on it — and it fucking whacked me straight in the face. I had paramedics come out and I was like, Fuck, I’m so worried. I thought I bit through my lip.
Who’s been the toughest band to open for?
We supported Suicide Silence in like 2007 in America. We hadn’t even released our second record and the tour was six weeks long. I don’t think we had a good show in terms of reactions from people. It was nothing to do with Suicide Silence. They were great to us and the other bands on the tour were great, but nobody had a fucking clue who we were.
We were on first and I remember we [played] one of our songs that had a chorus in it — “You’ll Find Safety” off of Ruin. One night I started singing it and the front row just turn their backs to us. I remember being like, Oh, fucking hell. Really far away from home, and I was not even old enough to drink in America.
Dillinger Escape Plan was supposed to be on the tour — and at the time we worshiped Dillinger. We loved them, and then they didn’t do the tour. It ended up being Emmure. So, it was Suicide Silence and Emmure, Beneath the Massacre, us and some other bands. We weren’t exactly not heavy, but we didn’t feel heavy… But yeah, what a talented frontman and vocalist [Suicide Silence’s] Mitch [Lucker] was. I didn’t think anyone could fuck with him at that point.
What is the wildest thing you’ve seen in the crowd at one of your shows?
Every time we’ve played in Russia, we get these [people holding] fucking flares. You call for a mosh pit, and it opens up and there’s just a dude in a balaclava holding this giant red flare. We’ve had it multiple times — it looks like Armageddon. Obviously not recommended, but it looks fucking cool. [Laughs]
Shows in Russia were always nuts — it was the first place we ever played an arena, and they knew every word to every song. When they’re already that wild and then flares start going up, you’re like, This could reach boiling point!
What is the greatest thing about growing up in Brighton?
The music scene. We had this really inclusive scene, whether you were hardcore, metal, pop punk, whatever. You had [metalcore band] Johnny Truant, us, [hardcore punk] bands like Turn Cold. Everybody was friends, everybody would drink together. I remember seeing Architects before I joined them, thinking, Fuck, you have to count to be in this band — because they were technically far superior to other hardcore bands.
What’s the worst part about Brighton?
How fucking expensive it is. It’s just got more and more mad, like London. Too much for people to afford now. So many people from Brighton have had to move out. I moved out, Dan’s out, [bassist] Ali [Dean’s] still there. It’s sad seeing people get fucked over for money. Brighton’s where I grew up, and I love it — but it just feels a bit mad now.
What is the greatest breakdown of all time?
The greatest breakdown: Ion Dissonance, “The Surge.” That’s so good — or any Meshuggah song. Any Meshuggah song is essentially one big breakdown going into another one. [Laughs] I know it’s not, but Meshuggah have got some fucking outrageous breakdowns, so I can’t just pick one.
What’s the greatest dream that you’ve yet to achieve?
I’d love to be successful enough to have a ranch, or farm, for rescue dogs — just fields full of them with people helping rehome them. Dogs and cats have been such a massive part of my life.
My first pet was a cat called Tom — had him from when I was born until I was 13 or 14. When I think about childhood, I think about him and my dogs Sophia, Lucky and all the other dogs I’ve had. They’re just such lifesavers. They make every day better, especially for people with mental health issues — pets can be such good therapy. If I’m having a shit day, walking my dogs is just the fucking best.
I’ve worked with Wunderdog Rescue and seeing their impact on people is nothing short of amazing. Having that little friend there all the time just makes the world a little less scary.