Architects: "We wrote this album for Tom"
"Holy Hell" is not an ordinary album by the Brighton-based metal band Architects. It is the first one without the guitarist and main songwriter Tom Searle (1987-2016), who succumbed to cancer in August 2016. His brother Dan Searle, drummer of the band, tells in an interview with the news agency spot on news how working on "Holy Hell" has helped him to overcome his grief.
"Holy Hell" is the first album that you had to write without your brother Tom. Is the complete material new or did you have old ideas from Tom?
Dan Searle: There are two complete songs on the album that Tom and I wrote shortly after the release of our last album. I wanted him to become part of "Holy Hell" as much as possible. I think there is only one song to which he has contributed nothing. But there are often small parts here and there, which I have taken out of his demos and are heard in the background.
The last album was titled "All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us". Even with this album, you remain faithful to the religious Methapern.
Searle: For me it's a lot about the context in which the albums are written. I am not a Christian, but I have a spiritual part in my life, even though I would not say that I follow a certain religion. "All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us" was written while my brother was faced with cancer and his own mortality. And this album came about as a result and while I was dealing with his death. So who decides about life and death? The terms heaven or hell are often used as metaphors - even in biblical texts. I think you may have taken these terms too literally in the past. I wanted to look beyond the literal meaning and find out if these metaphors can be instructive.
Do you see the album as a monument to your deceased brother and as a testimony to how you dealt with his death?
Searle: Exactly. This album is for Tom and of course it was a way for me to express my feelings. We wrote this album for him to do something in his honor. Something he would love and what he would have been proud of. But at the same time an album, with which this band can lead in the future.
This will take you to a very personal level. Previously, you were very concerned with social or environmental issues.
Searle: A songwriter should always write about the things that have the biggest impact in his life. These were the topics in the past - which is why we wrote very angry albums. Now it just feels natural to write about the death of my brother and about my grief. The other issues have slipped into the background because I was focused on my personal issues. When my brother left us, it felt like my life was collapsing. There was no room left to worry about a Donald Trump or the Brexit. Of course I still feel with all those who suffer from political injustice and I am still very sad about the inequality in the world. Still, it would have felt strange for me not to write about personal matters.
However, Brexit is inexorably getting closer and may have a big impact on your life.
Searle: To be honest, I'm getting tired of Brexit. We should accept the things in our lives that we can not control and change those we can control. If there were a new referendum, I would vote for the whereabouts. If there is no new choice, then I can not do much about it. If Brexit has any negative impact on me or my band, then we'll make the most of it. But I do not allow it to keep me awake at night and I will not waste my energy on things that are not in my hands. The whole thing has just become a complete disaster. Many people who voted for it did not know what they were getting into. And now they pay the price.
But many people do not seem to want to deal with politics any more. You want a simple answer to a complex question.
Searle: I think that was the reason people voted for Brexit. They just wanted to try something different because they felt that things were bad. But that's a very dangerous kind of change. The big question now is how can we live in a democracy when we are manipulated by media that owns some very rich individuals who are following their own agenda.How do we get rid of all the propaganda, leaving only the truth. But that is a very difficult question and, in my opinion, there should be a government agency that has an overview of what is being communicated to the public so that public opinion is not biased. I wish I had an answer for that. But we no longer work together on a solution, but fight each other only. That should be the first thing we stop with. Hard as it may be. But fear determines their actions and beliefs in many people.
Fear often gives people a feeling of powerlessness and they feel overwhelmed. From what do you gain the strength and the motivation to continue to be loud and to fight against it?
Searle: I often feel apathetic and often frustrated with the things that happen in the world. And in the past, that's also because I had to rebuild my life. But at some point you have to get involved. When that time comes and there is an effective way to bring about change, I will do it. I want a better world. I have a little daughter now and I want her to have a beautiful world where she can grow up and live.
