Architects Enter New “Chapter”, Reveal New Touring Guitarist

October 4, 2016

Architects‘ drummer Dan Searle has taken to Instagram with an emotional and retrospective post about his late brother Tom Searle, just as the band’s new replacement touring guitarist has been announced.

Josh Middleton, frontman of UK heavy metal band Sylosis, will fill in on guitar for Architects on their upcoming UK and European tour, just as Searle has recounts their last show in London with Tom.

He writes, “The band had reached a level that we’d never even dreamt of,” but, “Shortly after this night in London, everything associated with the band faded into the background and Tom’s wellbeing became the only thing that mattered.

“My perspective on life has been shattered and I’m still picking up the pieces,” Searle admits, but says he was also “excited to start our next tour”.

“Although the band isn’t over at this point, this chapter of the band is. I’m hellbent on keeping Tom’s legacy alive and moving this band forward, I want to do it for him, I want to do him proud and I can think of no greater inspiration.”

Sylosis have taken to social media to announce Middleton will be touring with Architects, saying that they would be going on “hiatus” during this time.

“Most will know that Josh is close friends with Architects and he will be helping out with guitar duties for their upcoming tours on the ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’ cycle,” they say.

“With respect to Sylosis fans, the band has decided to take some time off to allow Josh to focus on these commitments.”

The band have reassured that they will be back with a new album “in the future”, meaning that Middleton will probably not be a permanent replacement for Searle.

Architects were just on tour in Australia supporting Bring Me The Horizon, but the tour was cancelled three shows short of the end after Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes fell ill. During that tour Sean Delander from Aussie band Thy Art Is Murder filled in on guitar.

Architects are planning to come back to Australia in 2017 to play their own headline shows.

Catch Dan Searle’s Instagram post about the band’s new “chapter”, below.

Watch: Architects – ‘Gone With The Wind’

It's hard to get my head around how much has happened since this photo was taken. In this moment Tom's illness was very much at bay and the band had reached a level that we'd never even dreamt of. It felt like we had everything we'd ever wanted and more. It's frightening how quickly your entire life can get turned upside down. Shortly after this night in London, everything associated with the band faded into the background and Tom's wellbeing became the only thing that mattered. I remember bumping into someone that I went to school with at a pub in Brighton around 6 months before this show. He was never a friend of mine but I knew of him well enough to engage in a conversation. He hadn't had the same fortune as me in my life and he had caught wind of the bands moderate success. He told me to enjoy it while it lasted because 'you never know when it could end'. I dismissed his comments as bitter but perhaps there is more truth to what he said than I cared to admit at the time. Although the band isn't over at this point, this chapter of the band is. I'm hellbent on keeping Tom's legacy alive and moving this band forward, I want to do it for him, I want to do him proud and I can think of no greater inspiration. Everyday is a challenge and I miss him intensely. I'm still trying to figure out exactly where to go from here. My perspective on life has been shattered and I'm still picking up the pieces. I do know that I'm grateful for what we've built and I'm grateful for my family and friends. Playing shows again has felt good and I am genuinely so excited to start our next tour. I've had many people want to speak to me about Tom, and understandably so, but I've felt very self conscious of how I behave during those conversations. If I broke down in tears every time the topic was broached I'd be dangerously dehydrated and emotionally fraught, so if I seem cold on the subject please understand that it's hard for me to repeatedly open up those wounds. UK and Europe, see you all soon x

A photo posted by Dan Searle (@danarchitects) on Oct 1, 2016 at 3:02am PDT