Sam Carter Names Architects Song With His Favorite Lyrics

At eleven albums in, there’s plenty to choose from but Architects‘ Sam Carter has revealed  to Full Metal Jackie the Architects song that has his favorite lyrics.

Speaking with the radio host for her weekend show, Carter went with “Doomsday,” a 2017 single from the 2018 album Holy Hell as his choice. Though he had a hard time picking just one lyric, Carter notes several pieces from the song that just stand out to him from a lyrical standpoint.

“In terms of my favorite lyric for Architects, I would say basically the entirety of the song ‘Doomsday,'” the singer reveals. “I think that was written by Dan [Searle]. So I can say this. It may be just some of the best metal lyrics of all time.”

“I think ‘The only way out is through,’ ‘Souls don’t break, they bend,’ ‘Maybe now I’m lost I can live’ – so many simple lines really, but with so much depth and power behind them. Yeah, it’s an unbelievable song of lyrics,” shares Carter.

Within a broader discussion on lyric writing, the singer shares his own approach and names the artist and song outside of Architects that provided his favorite lyrics.

Carter also spoke in depth on Architects’ latest album, The Sky, The Earth & All Between and the early positive commercial and critical returns for the record. The singer spoke about raising the bar for his own vocal approach to the record, teaming up with House of Protection on a song and if where he feels the hope is in an increasingly divisive world.

The vocalist also shared effusive praise for Linkin Park, whom the band is playing shows with this year and reflected on his journey in the music industry has played out compared to what he thought it might be as a kid.

Check out more of the chat below.

It’s Full Metal Jackie. This week we’ve got Sam Carter of Architects here with us. How are you?

I’m doing great, thank you. I’m feeling great. I feel really like we’ve just been on tour for like a month releasing this record and I’ve just sort of had like two or three days at home and I feel really like humbled by it. It’s a really nice thing to have been so busy around the release and then to be able to kind of sit back and take it all in. I feel very fortunate.

Well, let’s talk about your excellent new record, The Sky, the Earth & All Between. Sam, there’s a lot of angst flowing through this record, but you feel totally locked in and it doesn’t feel like there’s ever a drop off. Even a song like “Elegy” sees you pushing a variety of vocal approaches. How do you tap into all of that emotion? And would you say this may be your most challenging record as the singer?

It’s self harm, really. Like how many different vocal styles can one person do in three minutes?

When we started rehearsing, I’m like, “Oh my God, here we go.” But really, I love that you bring up that song because it, to me, really feels like whatever happens to our band, whatever happens to me as a singer that’s there, I would use that song as an example of how I feel like I’ve really stepped up on this album.

I think for a lot of my career I felt like I’ve not reached like my full potential. I feel like people had always been like you’re a good singer and you’re great. And I don’t really take on board any compliments very well. I’m very self critical and very on myself. But with this album I think it was important to kind of push that out the way to really be like pushed by Jordan [Fish] and by Dan [Searle] in the studio.

And “Elegy,” I think is the result of kind of the freedom of being like, I’m going to make this the definitive kind of vocal album,” where people could be like, “Wow, the vocals on that are unbelievable.” So yeah, I’m very proud of it. A lot of work went into it.

I’ve had a singing coach now for a couple of years and work tirelessly on bettering myself. it’s really nice to kind of get the flowers when people have nice things to say about it.

Architects, “Elegy”

Sam, one of the standouts on this album is “Brain Dead,” a full throttle rocker with a guest turn by House of Protection, the new band of Stephen and Aric that were with Fever 333. Can you talk about bringing in the guys and how does it energize you as an artist when you get to work with other bands?

I love both those people so much and we’ve known them for a long time, especially Steve. Steve was in The Chariot when we first met but he’s always been around the scene. But they had been working with Jordan as well and we got to hear some of their music before anybody else.

And even before they had a song out we were like, “Right, let’s get them on this song.” It just felt like a no brainer, no pun intended. Just the energy of those guys is so infectious.

I just went to L.A. and shot a video with them and just the vibe around that band is just like unmatched. It’s just so cool. Everything they do is cool. So anything that we could kind of steal from them, which we did. But yeah, we’ve just had a great time with them and they’re coming on tour with us in the U.K. So we get to play “Brain Dead” live every night as well with them.

And yeah, I’m genuinely worried for sort of how hard Steve is going to go when we play that song live. I think people in the crowd genuinely need to be quite scared of that man when we start that song.

Architects (Featuring House of Protection), “Brain Dead”

Sam, songs like “Black Hole” and “Whiplash” seem to pull from the divisiveness of modern day society. There’s no shortage of things sparking anger and having people drawing lines these days. Do you feel there’s a solution to bringing back civility? Or has society gone past that point?

It feels like society may have crossed into this sort of new world where it’s like kind of both sides, sort of left and right kind of are attacking each other. So much so that you can almost believe sort of 90 percent the same thing. And if you’re out on 10% or you have an idea about something else, it feels so hostile.

Even within their own sort of world, it’s an odd one. I think the thing that I try and think about, and I think a lot of people do, is obviously you can’t fix everything this way. I’m just talking about just like in your own world, taking care of what’s around you. I live in a small village almost in the countryside. I think we’re so exposed to so much stuff around us as humans. I don’t think we’re supposed to know literally everything all the time or at the end of our phones.

I think trying to take care of what’s around you, like your community, your people and your family, your people on your close or where you live or on your street, local shops, having the relationships there with people and caring about people there. I think that’s where we kind of start to rebuild as a society that cares a bit more.

It’s so electrified, everything that we’ve almost kind of lost sight of. Good person, bad person. I think it’s really that simple. We’re all in this fight together.

I think we all need to be able to love each other, without going in and wanting to hate somebody immediately. Obviously easier said than done. People will take this and I’ll use it as a broad example of, “Oh, well, I can’t like this person.”

I’m just saying the world needs to learn to love a little bit. The Beatles were right. All you need is love. And the world would be a better place if we had that. If we had a lot more love and a lot more kind of flower power. A lot of the stuff that [John] Lennon was singing about on those records is still so true.

I listen to the Beatles a lot, and I listen to a lot of Lennon stuff and George Harrison as well. The songs are so relevant because we’re still in the same sort of weird sort of world that’s run by money and maniacs and we don’t kind of see each other as brothers and sisters anymore. It’s incredibly sad.

But life goes on. You’ve got to take care of each other and be kind. Dogs exist. They’re pretty cool. So if you get upset just to hang out with a dog, you’ll be fine. Five minutes later, it’s all good.

Sam, for this record, you’ve welcomed Jordan Fish into the mix. From a writing and production standpoint, it does feel that the bar has been raised with each track standing on its own. At this stage in your career, is there a test for what can pass for an Architect song? Like what needs to happen for you for it to get the green light?

I think on this record it really meant it had to be all three of us agreeing. And there was points where two of us would or one of us would, but it was like, well, if it’s not getting the green light from all three of us, then there must be something that’s not right. I think that’s important to have everybody pulling in the same direction and feeling like they’re all in.

But yeah, it also just had to be good. It’s our eleventh record and I think a lot of people probably made up their minds on like what Architects is or what an Architects album is.

There’s 10 there to choose from. But I think it was important to break through that and release music and songs that was so extreme in terms of like the best an Architect song could possibly be or the best an album could possibly be to get people’s attention that the bar was high.

I say, like most people probably think they know what Architect is or what Architects is about and hopefully this record’s kind of flipped that on the people on their heads.

You’ve obviously picked up a few things along the way here. I know songwriting is something that’s become a bigger part of what you bring over the years. Got a three part question for you here. Who are the writers who’ve influenced you? What in your opinion is the best Architects lyric either you or someone else in the band has come up with? And what is perhaps your favorite lyric of all time from anyone that you wish you would have written?

Wow. Three really straightforward, easy questions there Jackie.

I would say I’m very much influenced by, I think emotions and my emotions like a sort of very inward sort of like how things feel in the moment. I think when it comes to writing, I think because I’m not technically like, I can’t pick up a guitar and write a song. I can play drums so I can feel rhythms and I can feel things out. And I think for me, I’ll always go off something somebody starts. So somebody will start something and bring an idea and then I will work with that. So I will be like, this feels good. Maybe if it went here, maybe we should do this.

So a lot of the stuff that I do is based on sort of how it feels in my gut. So my gut is my real guide of where I think things should go. And obviously like my gut for Architects has to be really on because it’s my baby.

I love it.

That’s probably my biggest thing. And sometimes it gets in the way. Sometimes it can get in the way of what’s good because you’re like, “It just doesn’t feel right. I just can’t imagine it working.” But sometimes it gets there, sometimes you push through it, or sometimes it guides you in another direction.

In terms of my favorite lyric for Architects, I would say basically the entirety of the song “Doomsday,” I think that was written by Dan. So I can say this. It may be just some of the best metal lyrics of all time. I think “The only way out is through,” “Souls don’t break, they bend,” “Maybe now I’m lost I can live” – so many simple lines really, but with so much depth and power behind them. Yeah, it’s an unbelievable song of lyrics.

And for me, my favorite lyricist, it changes. Bob Dylan is obviously up there. The Beatles are up there. I say Lennon has some unbelievable lines, but I think probably my favorite John Lennon line is [from “God”], “God is a concept by which we measure our pain.” And I love that so much. It’s so thought provoking and kind of like hits you on the head.

I think it speaks to me a lot of like, “God is a concept by which we measure our pain,” which is just like, okay, so like God and religion are there when I’m suffering the most and I need help. But if I’m not, then I’m just walking around being like, “Oh, it doesn’t exist.” It’s really a crazy song. He lists off a bunch of things that he doesn’t believe in and it goes on and on and right at the end he says, “I don’t believe in Beatles and just believe in Yoko and me.”

It’s such an amazing song. Everybody should listen to it.

Architects, “Doomsday”

Sam, 2025 is bringing some pretty great touring opportunities for you. I recently saw your five favorite albums from when you were a teenager featured at Loudwire and noticed you called out your tourmates, Linkin Park and Hybrid Theory. What does it mean to you to be part of their comeback shows. And having grown up a fan of the band, what are your thoughts now that a new era has kicked off?

I honestly don’t think I’m able to articulate how crazy it is. I have a school planner from when I was at school. And on my school planner, the big thing in the middle is just a massive Linkin Park sticker. I was obsessed with that band. It was kind of like my band that kind of got me into like screaming almost like heavier, heavier music.

I think just in general, for this scene of bands that are around now, whether some of these bands even know it or not, like if it wasn’t for Chester [Bennington] and for that band, they’re behind this style of pitched vocals that has made heavy music a bit more within reach for some people. It’s unbelievable. Like no one was like pitching vocals like Chester before for that. It’s crazy! Crazy what a legacy he has.

READ MORE: Architects’ Sam Carter’s 5 Favorite Albums When He Was a Teenager

But I think actually when you listen to this new record, you really feel the soul of Linkin Park is still there. I’m sure a lot of people would disagree with me and people like to disagree with people on everything, but it feels like a Linkin Park record to me.

And I think Emily [Armstrong] is one of the most talented vocalists in the world right now. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing her live. I’ve watched a lot of live streams. I watched the first live stream where they announced her. And as a vocalist in that situation, for somebody to come on, to be performing a live stream to the world of alternative music and to come out and sound like she did and perform how she did was just jaw dropping.

Anybody that can’t say they wouldn’t fall apart in that moment is a liar. If that was me and I had been asked to do that and that was my moment of being shown off to the world, my voice would have gone. I would have been terrified.

It’s a real pleasure to watch. I think her vocals are so effortless and I think actually how she sounds when she sings the songs with Mike [Shinoda] as well is amazing. She has this beautiful rasp in her voice that I think a lot of singers love when they can get to that sort of top note that cracks into this beautiful singing voice. She has it as well, but it’s a really lovely rasp she has in the voice. It’s a great record, one that I definitely smashed.

Then when we got asked to do it, I just feel like, “Yeah, I’m ready to go.” We did some stadiums with Metallica for a couple of years and that was such an amazing experience. So, yeah, we’re ready to go and play to some Linkin Park fans and then go and watch Linkin Park and celebrate the music.

Sam, we were just talking about your teenage years and I’m sure you probably had visions of being a professional musician back in the day.

I didn’t have any choice. That was it.

Well it obviously worked out for you. What do you think was the biggest misconception you had back then of what this life actually is? And what would you tell yourself if you could go back and do it all over from scratch?

I think the biggest misconception I had when I was a kid was that every band that I saw play my local venue had made it and had serious money. It didn’t matter if you were first on or a local support, to me, I was like, they must have made it. They must have serious money, houses, cars, the lot. I didn’t realize how hard the industry is.

I’m not going to make this a sob story by any means, but when I was a kid I thought everybody that was playing big venues and had made it.

But it obviously is the best job in the world. I love it so much. I’ve done it for so long that it does become a point where you make money and you get to live off of doing, so it’s your dream job.

We were very fortunate at the start, when we were kids and first started that we had families that would let us stay at home and not have a job and not have to pay rent. Not everybody’s that fortunate. If you don’t have families around you that get what you do and want to back you, it can be really tricky. This was like 20 years ago. The touring now is even harder. The price of gas has gone up. Hotels, sleeping in a van, like renting a van, all this stuff is hard.

I don’t want to drag it out or make it sound miserable because it wasn’t. Those were the best years of my life. But what did I not know? I didn’t, I just didn’t. I just thought you sign a record deal and you’re cashing all your money and you made it.

I think we live in a world now where everybody’s talking about Tik Toks and going viral and going to make it or break it on there. I think realistically the best bands do well whether they’re on there or not because I think the best thing to do is just to write the best songs you possibly can and then get on tours.

And the same applies to what we did when we were kids. We didn’t write the best music. That’s not me saying that. But we got on tours and we were touring around the world and we were in people’s faces and I think that still applies. I think you have to do that and I think the music will shine through that.

Some people get it where they, where they do just blow up overnight. And some people have this long journey like we’ve had. But it is such a thrill and a rush to still be here, to still be not only relevant, but feeling like a new exciting band and not many people get to say that when they’re 36. So it’s a real, real pleasure to be here.

Sam, earlier we were talking about your teenage years and I wanted to get back to what you would tell yourself if you could go back and do it all over again. What would you tell a young Sam Carter?

I think if I could speak to my younger self, I would just be like, “It’s going to be fine, you’re going to be all right.” Because I worried so much as a kid and I had quite extreme ADHD which I still do. But obviously when you’re a kid, you don’t know you have it.

I just wanted to play music. That was my thing that I got hyper fixated on, was playing music at every opportunity. I wasn’t the smartest kid. So to end up doing something that I love and something that is able to provide me with my life, it really does feel like a blessing and I think you just have to hold on to that.

I really do try and lock in with that younger Sam a lot. I think it’s easy to sort of lose sense of that younger self. But I think in all of us, that sort of 13 year old, 14 year old that was us at like our most pure before we sort of had all these pressures and doubts and fears. I think if you can go back to how that person would relate to everything, I think it’s a good place to be.

Whenever I’m feeling really anxious and worried or feeling the pressure of stuff, I just try and get that kid to go and perform because he doesn’t give a. He thinks he’s better than everyone. And 36 year old Sam does not think like that.

I’m sure I’m not the only one with praise for this record. The reviews seem to be really great so far. How much stock do you take in reviews, fan comments or others sharing appreciation for what you do and what ultimately has to happen for the record and tour cycle to meet your own approval?

I think for me there’s nothing more satisfying than having somebody say it to you like this, to your face or just seeing it really connect with someone and really being able to hear it in somebody’s voice. I think things can get so lost on the Internet, whether it comes down to  people giving you compliments or people telling you. I think both of them kind of fall on deaf ears because you’re not really feeling much emotion there.

But it has been a resounding positive experience and people have been so nice and I’m so confident in this album. We put so much effort into the album and I really mean that. It wasn’t like, “Oh, yeah, this is just a really good album.”

It just happened, We worked so hard to create the album and to make it the best thing it possibly could be. That when it came out and it was almost like other people were hearing it. It was like, “Oh, okay, right?” It’s free now. My little baby’s just gonna go. And people can experience it. I felt so confident then. I was like, if anyone was to slag it off, I’d just be like, “Well, you’re just wrong.”

But it does, it does mean a lot. I think ultimately the success of it has already happened. For me, It feels like our most successful album we’ve ever released. I think it’s our most we’ve ever sold in the first week. I just hope it just it keeps going. If the start is anything to go by, the end could be so exciting. But whatever happens, I’m proud of it and I’m proud that it’s out there and people can enjoy it.

And it seems like “Everything Ends” is getting a lot of play on American radio and that’s so exciting for us. To have that moment and to have this hopefully really connect would be a dream come true. If it keeps being this fun, that’s maybe my dream for the record, that we keep having this much fun.

Well, keep having fun. Congrats on an amazing record.

Thank you.

Thanks to Architects’ Sam Carter for the interview. The Sky, The Earth & All Between is currently available. You can keep up with the band through their website, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Spotify accounts. ind out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.