Memento Mori

This 8-minute epic transforms from brutal metal to tender electronica and back again – it is a unique song for Architects. "I'm super, super proud of it," guitarist Tom Searle told Metal Hammer. "It's a different type of challenge to write a song like that that actually justifies its length. It's about the intricacies and the returns to the source that make the song what it is – it's meant to be that long." "Seven albums in, you want to get to the point where you can flex your creative muscles," he continued. "We couldn't have done this earlier in our career. After The Here And Now we just changed and decided we were going to try and be the best metal band around. That's still our aim. Why aim for being anything less than the best you can be? We went in to the studio with the intention of writing the best metal record of all time."

"Memento Mori" is a Latin expression meaning "remember you must die". In its original context, it was used to humble proud generals returning to ancient Rome to remind them of the inevitability of death. In medieval times it served as a warning of the vanity of earthly pleasures or an exhortation to make the most of earthly life. Some still life paintings, especially those produced by Dutch artists in the 16th and 17th centuries, contain a fading flower or a piece of rotting fruit as a memento mori. This reminder of human mortality is typical of Architects' songs.