“WE WANTED THIS TO BE UNIQUE”

The new album from Architects sees the British metal heroes expanding their horizons for their most ambitious work to date. Guitarists Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson discuss the creative process for an album that sets the bar high for 2021...

-  Amit Sharma

For Architects, one of the most powerful and inventive British metal bands of modern times, new album For Those That Wish To Exist represents a subtle yet significant evolution. As Josh Middleton describes it, he and fellow guitarist Adam Christianson are now “striving to tread new ground” and pushing into more “quirky and cinematic” sonic territories.

From a band renowned as tech metal masters, For Those That Wish To Exist is more direct and streamlined than previous albums, with less busy lines and straight 4/4 rhythms. And yet, the overall production and instrumentation makes the new music feel more expansive than anything they’ve created before. “We weren’t looking for generic metalcore riffs or anything too similar to what we’ve done in the past,” Josh says. “We wanted this to be unique.”

When Josh joined Architects, it was in the most difficult of circumstances – replacing founding member Tom Searle, who passed away in 2016. Since then, Josh has also remained committed to his other role as leader of Sylosis. But if his first album with Architects, 2018’s Holy Hell, was the sound of him settling into a new role alongside Adam, their partnership has truly blossomed on an album which also features guest appearances by Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and Mike Kerr of Royal Blood.

Speaking to TG, Josh and Adam explain the thinking behind the album and where their search for new sounds has led them...

What was your approach to guitars this time around?