Sam Carter - Architects 'A Soundtrack for the Heartbroken and Fed Up'

There is a fire in the bellies of the heavy music scene with a stack of new albums and EPs being unleashed in 2022 - from both artists we haven't heard from in a while, and bands who made the most of their lockdown circumstances during the pandemic by bashing out material they'd been sitting on with nothing else better to do... quite literally!

Architects are one of those bands who later this week will be releasing their tenth studio album the classic symptoms of a broken spirit (our review here) just shy of two years after they wowed us all with their anthemic metal masterpiece For Those That Wish To Exist.

When the offer came in to chat with frontman Sam Carter all about their new music, we jumped at the chance and couldn't wait to get stuck into it! Watch the chat below, or read on with the story...

In February of 2021, Architects released their hard-hitting and thought-provoking album For Those That Wish To Exist upon the world and here we are, not even 20 months later, they've already got a new release ready to send out upon the world on Friday.

"Well, we finished writing For Those That Wish To Exist, just after the last time we were in Australia. So we had all of that [touring] there and then we went to Bali after UNIFY, then we finished up the record writing together there. And then at the start of the lockdown, we were ready to record. So when we were allowed to actually go into studios again, it was all separate. Like Dan went and did the drums by himself. I tracked all the vocals with just me and Dan. And then we got the record finished. Luckily it was okay because we didn't really need to be around each other because we had been around each other for the whole record writing period"

"So then when it got to the end of that, there was still a whole lot of time in lockdowns and not being able to play shows and venues being shut, so, we just carried on, we just carried on writing and carried on sort of working the way we had been. And yeah, that was just our way of staying active and staying sane, I guess. Because we didn't have anything else to do!

"We just kind of secretly got on with the record, and, I guess didn't really have any sort of deadlines or anything to meet. No one knew it was happening, we were just doing it [and]; it's funny surprising people with another record when they're like 'what the fuck, you haven't even played our country yet! Why are you releasing another record?'

For those like me wondering what this means for the band's future tours, e.g. how do you fit two full albums of new material into a setlist (alongside the throwback bangers) when you have one album you haven't even played for the rest of the world yet?

"Well, I think one thing's for sure, I don't think we'll be releasing a record that quickly, like this time. Now everything's kind of opened up properly, we're going to be able to do tours. And it'll be nice to be able to really juggle the setlist. I think when you actually do an album tour, you have one album to play with and you just whack the singles in and the fuel for that. But the joy that we have now is we have two albums worth of being able to do that. So we can go to a place a couple of times and jiggle the setlist and make it more fun, for us as well.

During our interview for the last record, Sam told us all that FTTWTE touched heavily on the urgency of changing our ways in order to save the planet (because the window to do so is closing). This time around, it's a bit more of a continuation of the reactions after the climate change discussion and the feelings that arose from a continuing lack of care from government officials and their constant inaction.

"Similar to what we were talking about on the last record, but it's like, there's still fucking [nothing]. It's not going anywhere, it's not changing, nothing's happening. The people that are still in control and make the decisions on everything are still in control and make the decisions on everything we're not doing anything.

And I say that as in we, as in everybody, we're not doing anything. We're just sitting there and going like 'Ohh no, that's a shame. You know, I really like this planet. But I guess if I've got to do anything, then I guess I'll just let it die'.

But I think this record, it's the sound of the people that are just a bit broken. Like it really is. It really is exactly what the record is. It's just, you know, not all the time, can you be ready to fight and spread this positive message and need for change because sometimes you look around and you're like, 'I'm just fighting a losing fucking battle,' and you feel exhausted. And I think it's just important to take that time to feel shit, and to recharge and relax and be ready to fight when you can fight and talk about the things that are important when you can, and I think this record's there really [to] kind of soundtrack that sort of heartbroken, fed up, side of everyone's lives".

The music released during the past two years of hell has all served as an unofficial soundtrack for our lives, with turbulent times overtaking the good, and I guess that's one thing that makes the heavy music scene so special. For every rough patch, we have a new, heavy song that reflects how we're feeling at the time and we get to share that feeling with countless others going through similar trials and tribulations.

The motions of connecting with others again (after being told to avoid people for two years) is something we're getting used to, and Architects just have this way of bringing us all together, through their music, and reminding us that we're not alone in what we go through. This new release highlights their ability to connect with their ever-growing audience and vent similar frustrations through heavy riffs and crisply delivered screams and yells.

The band also have another unique way to bring us together - and that's thanks to a cheeky little addition to their music that we've been missing since 2018's Holy Hell was released... the infamous "BLEGH!" Noticeably absent from their last album, I recall superfans being disappointed it didn't make the final cut on any of their tracklist material in recent years... until now!

 "It's a really fun bit, isn't it. When we were doing it, I was kind of likening it to a people reacting to it [moment], when it goes into that bit and people being like 'what the fuck are they doing!?' and then that bit hitting and them being like 'oh fine, yeah they can do whatever they want'. So that's why it's there, it's a real fun song."

"I'm glad that that's back and it's funny that it means so much to people and, I didn't know. I didn't know..." Sam Carter on the return of the BLEGH!

Architects are a monster of a band showing no signs of slowing down and with ten studio albums in their pockets, why would you want them to?

Interview by

Pre-Order the classic symptoms of a broken spirit here

Architects – the classic symptoms of a broken spirit tracklisting

2. tear gas

3. spit the bone

4. burn down my house –

5. living is killing us

6. when we were young

7. doomscrolling

8. born again pessimist

9. a new moral low ground

10. all the love in the world

11. be very afraid