Sylosis frontman Josh Middleton elaborates on Architects split

Josh Middleton, the former guitarist of Architects, and founding member of Sylosis, recently gave his first interview since parting ways with his former band. In the interview, conducted via video call from his home in Reading, UK, Middleton discussed the reasons behind his departure and shed a bit of light on his future endeavors.

The announcement of Middleton's departure from Architects back in May came as a shock to fans, especially considering the band's recent success, including a tour with Metallica. Middleton had been a close friend of his former bandmates since 2005 and filled the role of co-founder Tom Searle after his passing in 2016.

According to Middleton, the decision to part ways was ultimately due to musical differences. He explained that while Architects' plans for their music may differ, there is no animosity between them, and they remain friends:

"We were on different pages musically – that's the best way to put it," he shrugs. "For the most part, I listen to really, really heavy music all the time. Obviously, I was getting excited about the next Sylosis record, because it's quite heavy, and I guess it's just a different direction.

I don't know what Architects' plans are. They may do something even heavier than before. They might not. I guess you could say the partnership ran its course, but we're still friends and there's no drama. I literally spoke to Sam earlier, just sending him memes."

Discussions about the band's musical future revealed divergent paths, and it was agreed upon in early April that Middleton's last performances with the band would be during their support slots for Metallica.

Middleton's ambition for Sylosis is to break into the heavy music mainstream. He envisions the band becoming a prominent force in metal and filling a gap he identifies has existed since Lamb of God broke through:

"There are a lot of metal bands I like, but a lot of it feels underground, spread out and sparse. Lamb of God were the last 'metal metal' band to truly get big. There's a huge gap in the metal world for something like A Sign of Things to Come. I want to fill that gap."