Since their formation in 2006, Architects have never stopped evolving their metalcore. Their eleventh album, "The Sky, The Earth & All Between", is no exception. To mark the occasion, we caught up with the band's emblematic frontman - Sam Carter - who talks about the band's career, which still has a long way to go according to the singer himself, and in particular this long-awaited new album, of which he is very proud. Last but not least, he gives us a deep reflection on everything that's going on in the world at the moment... and on life quite simply...
What's the one question you've been asked too many times that you're sick of answering?
Sam : Why is the album called ‘The Sky, the Earth and All Between’?
The latest news is the release of your eleventh album, ‘The Sky, The Earth & All Between’...
... Why do you call it that? (Laughs)
... should this title be taken as a philosophical or esoteric message, or even a religious one?
I really like it! I really like it! Most people ask me why we called it that... and you're obviously the best!
Are you implying that I did the question and the answer in the same time?
Yes, I am! It's a title that came to us very naturally. When we were writing the song with Dan (NdStruck: Dan Searle, drummer) and Jordan (NdStruck: Jordan Fish, producer), we thought we were writing something good...
Originally, the first song on the album was called ‘The Sky, the Earth and All Between’, but in the end we decided to call the album that because it evokes something powerful and sad at the same time. And we decided to change the name of the song in question to ‘Elegy’.
The cover recalls Michelangelo's painting of the creation of Adam, when God gives life to Man. Is it this idea, this link, that you're expressing through the title and the cover?
We've been working with our photographer Ed Mason for a long time. He's been shooting with us for years, for over ten years. One of the things I love about Ed is that his photographs are not just photographs but art... He takes quite abstract pictures of situations or and places where we find ourselves. And it's very interesting because when you look at the photos you remember things. I've started taking photos myself in recent years and I appreciate what he does even more. I don't think you really appreciate photography until you've taken photos yourself and realised how hard it is... And so we wanted to do something abstract for the visual which can be a bit provocative...
But beyond that, it fits perfectly with the title of the album because of its religious aspect...
It's true that it works really well. We had some abstract photos that Ed had taken over the last few years. We also wanted to work with Frank (NdStruck: Frank Maddocks) who's worked with Deftones, Linkin Park... So we sent him Ed's photos, which we loved, and asked him how he envisaged the thing, the direction to take... And in fact, he mixed two photos, the hand being one photo and the beams of light at the top being a second photo... So he mixed these two photos to make this visual. And when we saw the result, it was obvious that this would be the visual for the album.
It's the work of two people I believe in. I trust Ed as a photographer and his art. I trust Frank, who's done all my favourite album covers. In fact, it's like getting a tattoo, you have to trust the artist who's going to immortalise it.
Life is ephemeral!
Between the title of the album and its visuals... you get the impression that we're talking about the end of Humanity, and the ‘Blackhole’ video seems to confirm this idea, with its destructive and apocalyptic aspect. Are you that pessimistic about the future of our species?
Not our species, but this song evokes the mortality of life. Life is ephemeral, I've lost a lot of friends: we're here today, we won't be here tomorrow. You never know when the end is going to come. With this song, we tried to go to extremes. We really wanted to get to the bottom of things with this song. That's why we couldn't be so ambiguous with the lyrics: we wanted it to be brutal.
But in the end, I think people are probably less pessimistic than we were for a while. Today, I put things into perspective by saying to myself, what can I do? The world is what it is and, yes, it's in a bad way...
But if everyone thinks like that, nothing will change for the better?
On a smaller level, as I get older, I realise that most people are nice...
My aim in life is to make you happy!
... That's true, but by hiding from it, we're acting selfishly and leaving a worsening situation to our children...
There are two ways of looking at things. Do you care about what the future will bring for our children? Or are you going to spend your whole life and life with your children not appreciating the present moment?
My aim in life is to make you happy! And even if the world were to end, you wouldn't want not to have had your children. You want to live this experience and this love. It doesn't matter how old they are when the end comes: there's something magical about that experience. I want to have children and I pray every day to have them with my wife, because that's what life's all about!
I'm a very sensitive person and so on a bigger level, as I get older, I can't concentrate on that any more because it's killing me! I can't sleep thinking about it....
Despite everything, I try to be a good human being by being good to the people around me, good to my family and being a better friend. Helping communities, local shops, neighbours...
In short, we have to be as nice as possible... It's all the fuckers who are in charge of this world, our countries and our planet who shouldn't be able to sleep, not us!
It's all the fuckers in charge of this world [...] who shouldn't be able to sleep, not us!
This idea is similar to the video ‘Whiplash’, which seems to show the schizophrenic side of our society, its total and uncontrollable madness. Do you think we're heading down such a negative path and that, somewhere down the line, our destiny is to end up in a dictatorial society like the one in England in ‘V for Vendetta’?
It's very interesting because the world is so armed that it has finally become a hostile place. There's war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East... Our government is crazy. The Canadian Prime Minister is crazy. I don't follow French politics too much, but I understand there's a lot going on here too, as evidenced by the protests... To be honest, it doesn't look good when you look at the World (Smiles). But there are reasons to be optimistic and hopeful. We're on the cusp of moving out of the digital age and into one where we'll have more exchanges with people with whom we don't share the same ideas about everything. And maybe when that happens to our governments, the people in control will believe in a better world. But it has to be, because otherwise, as you say, things are going to hell (Laughs): we can't keep burning everything down... So I hope we're approaching a time when people will finally act like adults...
I hope we're approaching a time when people will finally act like adults...
This eleventh album seems to follow the musical evolution you undertook after the success of the two previous albums, ‘The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit’ and ‘For Those That Wish to Exist’, which marked a big step forward in terms of popularity. How do you explain that?
I don't really know. Next question (Laughs)! On a more serious note, this is our eleventh album after all... That's interesting.
By the way, ‘Seeing Red’ - the first single from the album - makes ironic use of your extreme vocal characteristics. In the lyrics, you say that you feel stuck in a musical genre, followed by fans who want you to repeat the cutting-edge songs they love. The four tracks already on the album are in that vein, but that's clearly not the case with the rest of the album...
... Exactly, we're going to trap them!
... Did you do this deliberately?
This is our eleventh album and it has to be successful. And to do that, it has to be good, really good, otherwise people won't pay any attention to it. After eleven albums, people have an idea of what Architects is all about. So if it's just to release a new Architects album, there's no point: people won't listen to it. So the album has to be special for the people who are interested in it...
But legendary bands like AC/DC have built their careers on a discography made up of...
... the same albums over and over again... It's true, but I love them!
The main idea behind this album is the energy it exudes.
That's not the case with you, where you've been trying to evolve since the last three albums...
The main idea behind this album is the energy that comes out of it. In other words, the
heavy song had to be really
heavy, really extreme. Conversely, the sad song had to be hopeless.
We live in a world where - as I said - to get someone's attention, especially for an eleventh album, you have to release an album offering people what they want. But there are other songs on this album, slower songs, sadder songs: we wanted them to show our vulnerable side and therefore deliver a strong emotion. I think that's what was missing on the last album and what maybe upset some people: an emotion they could feel.
I think when you listen to the whole album, there are constant highs and lows: it's not just a metalcore album, it's not just a sad album, it's an album that sounds like life!
It's not just a metalcore album, it's not just a sad album, it's an album that sounds like life!
Are you stressed about coming up with an album that doesn't exactly live up to your fans' expectations?
Fuck them (Laughs)! More seriously, you can be, but I don't want people to think they've won because we're releasing a
heavier album.
At no point, either during the songwriting process or in the studio, did we think about how our fans would react. Seeing Red' was the first song we did that was a kind of statement that we were going to write about their annoyance and have fun with it because we understand them... But we prefer to turn it into a joke. But when we finished the album - when it came to mixing and
mastering and finally submitting it to the label - that's when we realised we didn't want to know what people were going to think... But you can't think that way because you're the pilot...
The more people are upset, the bigger the band!
That's true, but you've acquired a certain level of popularity thanks to the two previous albums. Aren't you worried about losing those fans you've reached recently by making the music you want and not the music they want?
You know what? The more people are upset, the bigger the band gets! The more people complain about us, the more stadiums we'll play in (Laughs)! I don't know what people think about what we did back in the day: we didn't play in stadiums! It's funny!
At this stage, we're lucky to be eleven albums in... And if it all came to an end tomorrow, it would be really sad and it would break my heart. I wouldn't want it to end for anything in the world, and we've had to give everything to keep it going.
We've reached a huge milestone by playing in stadiums, but there's still a long way to go to headline festivals. The songs have to be good, the producer has to be good, the mix has to be good, the videos have to be good... everything has to be right or people won't care!
You've experimented since your last two albums, and given the success you've had, you've continued on this new album with the production of Jordan Fish (ex-Bring Me the Horizon). What contribution has he made to this album, given that there's less restraint than before and more authenticity in your music, which sounds more natural?
Yes, I think we've picked ourselves up a bit because we were a bit too easy on the last album. You think it's easier not to sing so loudly, not to push yourself to the limit...
But when you work with a producer like Jordan, he reminds you what people like, when they feel emotions... He asked us to come back with crazy drums like screaming... because that's what people like in our band. He pushed us to the limit and did some incredible takes on the sound. You can hear it particularly in the vocals and the drums, you can hear this desire to be visceral and intense.
It's rather paradoxical that this should come from him, given that Bring Me Horizon's less extreme turn began when he took over as the band's keyboard player....
It's funny, people have a preconception of what Jordan likes and doesn't like. And I don't think that's necessarily the case. He has very broad tastes and a very broad way of composing...
But where you're right is that people think our album is going to be different because he wrote it with us. But it's funny to see their reaction to ‘Blackhole’ and to realise that they don't know Jordan after all. But there are softer parts of this album and he's incredible at that too. He's just a genius at everything he does!
I've been diagnosed with ADHD [...] I love the fact that Architects is a band that puts out albums where people can escape and feel that intensity.
The concentrated energy and intensity of this latest album betray a kind of rage, always concentrated but never restrained. Do the causes that affect you fuel this palpable energy in the tracks you've written recently?
I think that, as you said, in the World we live in, it's easy to get enraged (Laughs)!
As a person, ever since I was a child I've always had this energy and I've never really understood where to pour it out. I've been diagnosed with ADHD - I didn't understand it until this year, but it was obvious to everyone who knows me - and I love the fact that Architects is a band that puts out albums where people can escape and feel that intensity, whether it's at our gigs or playing sport... When I was a kid, I used to escape when I listened to Linkin Park and Papa Roach... I had the feeling that these bands understood me and I felt that I'd had their energy... So I hope that our music provokes that same feeling and I'm proud if it does, that people connect like I do: it's such an incredible feeling!
The last song is a ballad you sang with Sia...
... (Laughs) I'd love that to be the case!
But people forget our history, I'm thinking in particular of our third album ‘Hollow Crown’ which people talk about a lot and the last song on that album is also a ballad. And at the time, it was the strongest moment when we were on stage. People forget that we've always had this style of song and these moments on our albums. In fact, on ‘Daybreaker’, the album we released some time later, there are some of the
heavier songs like ‘These Colours Don't Run’ and ‘Alpha Omega’, but that's not the case with the rest of the album.
It's interesting, but the end of ‘Chandelier’ reminds me of the end of ‘Hollow Crown’: we're back into this style of singing that I haven't done for a while.
But it's true when we did that song, I thought, we haven't done that for years. I think people will be intrigued because it really is a depressive song.
Architects is the success of four normal guys who aren't rock stars!
Could we say that the last song, ‘Chandelier’, represents the new Architects philosophy that can be heard in your music: a sombre song that celebrates the fragility of life like the flame of a candlestick?
I think it is. I also think that we're moving forward with the band! I don't think we always have to be gloomy and sombre. Architects is the success of four normal guys who aren't
rock stars! I kiss my dog every day. I garden. I'm not a
rockstar. And the same goes for Dan who looks after his kids. We're not cool. We're guys who love what we do and people like it because it's just real. But I really love what I do: it's my life! I'm Architects' biggest fan and I'm delighted to be the band's
frontman.
As a frontman, the evolution of your vocals is impressive since the albums ‘Holy Hell’ and even ‘For those that Wish to Exist’. Did you deliberately decide to take things up a notch or is it a natural evolution?
You know, I'm very self-critical. And sometimes I criticise myself too much, a bit too much, but I took singing lessons from a teacher for this album...
It reminds me of the interview we did with Michael Akerfeld from Opeth...
... An incredible singer...
I hate to say it, but I have to admit I'm really proud of myself!
... who admitted to us that he couldn't recognise his voice on an album, it was like listening to himself on a telephone answering machine...
In fact, I've been taking singing lessons for a year and a half now and the teacher is incredible. He's an incredible person, but he's brought out a part of me that I thought had disappeared, namely my self-confidence...
On this album, I wanted to show that I was capable of the vocal performance I gave. It costs me a lot to say it, but I have to admit I'm really proud of myself! There are so many incredible singers out there that you have to try and be one of the best.
We've been pessimistic from the start of this interview, but there are reasons to be optimistic. We know you're committed to Sea Shepperd, so I suppose you must be very happy about Paul Watson's release?
Yes, incredible. He's a great guy, an inspiration...
None of the members of Architects eat meat...
... Some do...
Is that a commitment?
For me, it's not as much of a commitment as it used to be... On the other hand, I am committed to Sea Shepperd and Paul Watson. I spoke to his right-hand man Omar (NdStruck: Omar Todd) about everything that was going on and in particular about being upset by what governments are doing because everything that's happening around us is not good... I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to have any problems with the countries in question but it's all a question of power... But to finish on the subject, if the French government hadn't been there, he'd still be in prison...
As for your other commitments, are you planning to set up an association to support Manchester United?
I've called it ‘Therapy’ (Laughs) and I do it every week. No, really, this club is nothing but ups and downs!
Especially downs at the moment...
Yes, but it's strange with Manchester United because we're one of the biggest clubs in the world. The club has won everything and today, if it had to win three trophies, it wouldn't be enough. It's funny because clubs like Arsenal can win nothing for seven years with Arteta at the helm and nobody says anything!
It's interesting, but it's the same thing with PSG, who still haven't won the Champions League, which is crazy when you think about it!
Even if we've reached new heights, I think we've still got a long way to go!
With Metallica and Linkin Park touring in a few weeks' time, do you think you've reached your peak? What could be next?
Playing the same venues but as a headliner: that's the next step!
Even if we've reached our peak, I think we've still got a long way to go! I'm very proud to have the opportunity to open for the two biggest metal bands in the world.
We started with the question you've been asked too many times, but what could be the one you'd like me to ask you or the one you'd dream of answering?
What's my favourite Beatles album?
Which is it?
I can't tell you, they're all good!
It's hard to answer, but my favourite track is ‘The Fool on the Hill’...
I love ‘The Fool on the Hill’.
But ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ is a killer. It might be the best but I change it every month...
Merci beaucoup
(In French) ‘Merci beaucoup’
Thanks to Noise and Gyvy for their contribution...