Creating an album can sometimes feel like life or death, especially for a band as creative as British metalcore legends Architects. But this time, the creation process necessitated that they go through the ultimate rebirth. “It wasn’t about just putting out another Architects record. It had to be the record—the one people talk about when they talk about our band,” says frontman Sam Carter. Bandmate Dan Searle echoes this sentiment about their new work, The Sky, The Earth & All Between: “What we’re trying to say is that we had to make the quintessential Architects album—bringing together all our best qualities and everything we excel at.”

Few bands make it to their 11th album and deliver their best music, but Architects have done just that. Touring stadiums with Metallica for two years gave them clarity: they could legitimately do this forever, something that hadn’t felt possible when they began the band as scrappy teenagers. In fact, they realised they were only halfway through their career, provided they stayed passionate and kept their creative edge. “Maybe we’re not rich enough to be lacklustre yet,” Searle jokes, “but there’s always that fear you’ll be seen as your powers dwindling album by album. I think some people felt that way after our last couple of records because we experimented with our identity. But we’re growing in a way that’s unique—you don’t see it often.”

The last couple of albums For Those That Wish To Exist and The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit had been about attempting the new. When those records performed well critically and commercially, that was their green light to pursue whatever they wanted to. So, they resolved to channel the lessons learned from innovation into making something that felt like the pinnacle of what Architects have long been evolving towards.
One of the band’s most beloved songs, “Doomsday,” was a tribute to Tom Searle, Dan’s brother and fellow Architects member who passed away in 2016. Written with Bring Me The Horizon’s Jordan Fish, it left them curious if they’d ever collaborate again. When Fish left Bring Me in 2023, Architects were the first artist or band to bring him on board to produce, freeing Dan Searle from his usual production duties to focus entirely on creativity. Fish’s involvement brought fresh energy. “It didn’t hurt working with him when he was extremely hungry and had a point to prove,” says Searle.

Three weeks of work began in a private Brighton studio. The pressure was intense, but the process was—ironically considering how seriously they were taking this—more fun than they’d had in years. The shared British sense of humour in the room lightened the mood, leading to funny samples and moments of silliness amongst some of their heaviest music yet. “If we made something and the three of us all laughed it almost always stayed on the record. I think we often found ourselves making the tasteless tasteful which was a lot of fun,” says Searle.

The resulting The Sky, The Earth & All Between is a masterful rock album, forever shifting between aggressive, melodic, and experimental sounds while maintaining a cohesive vision. The grandiosity of the title reflects its ambition, but the music feels effortless—an elemental summation of everything Architects have been and could become. From the ferocious single “Blackhole” to the pop-metal brilliance of “Everything Ends,” every track demonstrates an instinctive hand at blending sounds.