Congratulations to Architects, who just scored their first No. 1 album in the U.K. According to Official Charts, Architects’ For Those That Wish to Exist has crushed the band’s former chart records.
It took Architects nine album to hit No. 1. Their next highest-charting album was 2016’s All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, which reached as high as No. 15 on the U.K. album charts. The record also did very well in Australia, peaking at No. 2 down under. Architects’ eighth album, Holy Hell, slipped ever so slightly by peaking at No. 18, but For Those That Wish to Exist has outshined them all.
“I cannot begin to tell you how much this means to us,” says vocalist Sam Carter. “Thank you to every single person who bought this record. We love you so much and we could not have done this without you. To have an album that connects this much, with what we’re talking about — trying and pushing for a better world — it’s unbelievable. As ever, everything we do is for Tom Searle, our brother.”
“We are blown away,” Architects wrote to their fans. “Never in our wildest dreams did we aspire to this. Even 1 week ago, when we released this record, there was no discussion between us of having a No. 1 record … Four years ago we lost Tom and our worlds were turned upside down. The fact that we can stand here today with a No. 1 record in the U.K., having lost our songwriter, having created a record that took so many risks, should be impossible, but here we are.”
It’s been a big couple of weeks for rock and metal on the U.K. charts. Last week, prog veterans Mogwai scored their first No. 1 album in the U.K. with As Love Continues.