The band formed in 2003 with the lineup of Jason Watkins, Gregory Lahm, Dave Mann, Alex Vernon and Derik Sommer.
They released their first album Time & Withering in 2004 to positive reviews.
Soon after the band released a split with label mates Kenoma in 2006, their second album The Ties That Blind was released in August, and featured Brent Hinds of Mastodon on guest vocals on one track. To support The Ties That Blind, the band toured extensively around the United States, first with These Arms Are Snakes in late 2006, then with 400 Blows and Unsane in May and June of 2007.
Their latest album, Quietly, was recorded after Lahm in turn left the band, with Vernon returning alongside newcomer Steve Brooks to jointly handle guitars and vocals, with Kevin Schindel providing bass. Soon after the release of the album by Translation Loss Records, Vernon left yet again, with Schindel filling the guitar void.
Schindel, Vernon, and Brooks have been members of the band Twelve Tribes at various points in the past.
Current lineup consists:
Jason Watkins - vocal, keyboards, samples;
Steve Brooks - guitar, vocal;
Kevin Schindel - guitar, vocal (Dead Blue Sky, Twelve Tribes);
Dave Mann - drums (Rune).
Joe Lester- bass guitar
Former members:
Alex Vernon - guitar, vocal;
Derik Sommer - bass guitar;
Brian Cook - bass guitar (Botch, These Arms Are Snakes, Russian Circles);
Dan Wilburn - guitar (The Science Logic);
Gregory Lahm - guitar, vocal (Droves, Vigils, Struck by Lightning).
https://mouthofthearchitect.bandcamp.com/
At Arms Length
Mouth of the Architect Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is nothing left inside of me
I cannot save you
There is nothing left inside of me
I will wash away into the sea
Drowning my lungs with your memory
Turn away from me
Turn away from me
I will fail you
I cannot save you
There is nothing left inside of me
The lyrics of "At Arms Length" by Mouth of the Architect are a heartbreaking testament to a person's realization that they cannot save someone they care about, even though they may want to. The first stanza repeats the phrase "I cannot save you" twice and emphasizes the fact that the singer feels empty and has nothing left to offer that person who is in need of saving. It's a painful admission of defeat that is communicated in a beautiful way through the band's raw and powerful music.
The second stanza explores the sense of loss that comes with the realization that the person in question cannot be saved. The singer metaphorically describes themselves as washing away into the sea, drowning their lungs with the memory of that person. It's an evocative and visceral image that communicates the sense of being overwhelmed by grief and helplessness. The final lines repeat the refrain from the beginning, underscoring the fact that the singer is powerless to help the person they care about.
Overall, "At Arms Length" is a moving and deeply emotional song that speaks to the human experience of feeling helpless in the face of someone else's suffering. The lyrics are simple, but every word is weighed down with the weight of the singer's pain and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
I cannot save you
Unfortunately, I am unable to rescue you from your current predicament.
There is nothing left inside of me
My inner strength and capability to help have been exhausted.
I will wash away into the sea
I will embrace my emotions and let them carry me away like the sea.
Drowning my lungs with your memory
I will be consumed by the pain of your memory until it suffocates me completely.
Turn away from me
You should distance yourself from me to avoid my inevitable failure to save you.
I will fail you
Despite my best intentions, I will ultimately disappoint you and be unable to provide the help you need.
Turn away from me
It's imperative that you avoid relying on me for assistance.
I cannot save you
Once again, I must admit to being powerless to help you in your current situation.
Contributed by Bentley P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.