Architects react to earning their first-ever No. 1 album in the UK

It’s a big day of celebrating for Architects and their new album For Those That Wish To Exist.

Their ninth studio album has officially debuted at No.1 on the U.K. album charts.

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There was a lot of build-up surrounding the release of For Those That Wish To Exist. Over the past few months, Architects had unveiled plenty of previews into the record with songs such as “Dead Butterflies,” “Meteor,” “Animals” and “Black Lungs.”

Following all of this, Architects finally put out For Those That Wish To Exist on Feb. 26. Now, the album has officially debuted at No.1 on the U.K. album charts. The ninth studio album from Architects managed to beat out artists such as Maximo Park, Digga D and Alice Cooper for the coveted top spot.

According to Official Charts, the race for this week’s No.1 was a close one. As it turns out, Architects beat out Maximo Park’s Nature Always Wins for the top spot by just 550 chart sales. This accomplishment also marks Architects’ first top 10 album in the U.K. Previously, their highest chart peak was No. 15 with 2016’s All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us.

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“I cannot begin to tell you how much this means to us,” Sam Carter told Official Charts. “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.”

The band also took to Twitter to celebrate the news. In a statement, they thank their fans, their team and anyone who has supported them over these past 16 years.

“We are blown away. 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 number 1 record. We’ve been around for 16 years and this is our 9th (ninth) record – bands just don’t hit new peaks on their ninth record, but here we are. 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 UK, having lost our songwriter, having created a record that took many risks, should be impossible, but we’re here.

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We owe a debt of gratitude to our fans. You rallied together and made this possible – we only just got over the line and every single one of you played your part. Thank you for making this a reality, we are endlessly grateful. Thank you to everyone involved with this record, there are too many to name but you know who you are. We love you all.”

For Those That Wish To Exist features a number of collaborations with Parkway Drive‘s Winston McCall, Royal Blood‘s Mike Kerr and Biffy Clyro‘s Simon Neil.

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For Those That Wish To Exist is Architects’ sixth No.1 on the Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart. As well, the album is also this week’s best-selling album on vinyl and top seller in independent record shops. The self-produced LP includes 15 tracks that address what it means to exist while reflecting on the human condition.

“This album was me looking at our inability to change to a way of life that would sustain the human race and save the planet,” Searle said. “I wanted to look in the mirror and ask ourselves the question of what are we going to do, as opposed to trying to point the finger at politicians. Change has to start on a personal level. The world has developed a culture of wanting someone else to deal with it when we need to take our own responsibility. It has to start there.”

What are your reactions to Architects scoring their first No.1 album in the U.K. with For Those That Wish To Exist? Let us know in the comments below.