Meaning of Seeing Red by Architects
With Epitaph Records releasing this song on 4 December 2023, Seeing Red marks Architects’ first single since those associated with their 2022 full-length The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit, a project that peaked at number 18 on the band’s native UK Albums Chart. Seeing Red is considered to be a surprise single, and it came complete with its own music video, as directed by the band’s own Dan Searle.
Writers & Producers
It is also Dan Searle, Architects’ drummer and co-founder, who co-wrote and co-produced this track. And that former regard, he got the job done alongside his bandmate, lead singer Sam Carter, and the other co-producer of the track is Mick Gordon, a musician who actually made a name for himself on the videogame circuit.
The Lyrics
Architects’ main sound is classified as metalcore, i.e. a type of extreme form of heavy metal. Being affiliated with these types of genres, which tend to have zealot purists amongst its fans, can sometimes lead to criticisms from such individuals, if the artist is considered to have deviated from the accepted path. And reportedly, Architects have dealt with such backlash recently, and Seeing Red is meant to serve as a response to fans that have basically accused them of going mainstream, i.e. soft.
The title of this song is a colloquialism pointing to a person being visibly and irately angry. And as presented in the song, Architects are acknowledging that certain listeners, like those highlighted above, ‘only love them when they’re seeing red’. Or put otherwise, they are akin to fair-weather fans, the types who only approve of Architects when they’re spazzing, if you will.
Sam has an interesting and emotional reaction to this phenomenon. In the first verse, in a roundabout way he lets such naysayers know that their words do in fact hurt. But he also criticizes them as listeners who have grown accustomed to anger.
The second verse is a bit more complex. But perhaps the simplest way of describing its basis is as one where Architects are asserting that they’re at peace with their artistry, with those angry fans rather being the problem. And they’re also convinced that such individuals are more prone to talk sh*t “on the internet” rather than face-to-face.
The chorus and bridge, which feature religious references, are even more difficult to describe. But concerning the chorus, it reads as if Sam is taking partial credit for presenting himself as the type of monster – or “the antichrist” as he puts it – that negative fans have come to expect. And the bridge seems to reiterate the notion that all of their criticisms are indeed taking their emotional toll on him.
