Unleash The Archers – Phantoma
Unleash The Archers – Phantoma
Napalm Records
Release Date: 10/05/2024
Running Time: 56:07
Review by Rory Bentley
9/10
Hello there! Bet you didn’t expect to see Ever Metal’s resident Oi! Boy/beatdown enthusiast covering this one eh? Well let me hit you with some knowledge pals- I’m a huge Unleash The Archers fan and I ain’t afraid to show it. Not in the sense that I have a plastic sword or anything, but I’m a huge proponent of their meld of gigantic melodies, crushing guitar tones and yes… Power Metal!
Despite my well-publicised aversion to the P-word (apart from Blind Guardian and Powerwolf) and the super nerdy and exhaustingly detailed fantasy/sci-fi lyrics that Brittney Slayes loads up every record with, I’ve grown to love the band over the last couple of records as they’ve gradually spread their wings and stepped out of strict genre boundaries into their own totally distinctive sound. Will this love affair continue with the AI-themed concept album “Phantoma”? You’d better believe it, bruv.
What we have here is a varied, well paced, meticulously structured record that covers all the band’s sweet spots and builds on them while adding a few new flavours here and there. Grant Truesdell and Andrew Kingsley have plenty of fretboard ripping moments throughout, such as the warp-speed shredding and florid guitar harmonies on ‘The Collective’, while the driving double bass pedal attack of Scott Buchanan is present and correct on the likes of the adrenalized ‘Ph4NT0-ma’ where everyone gives it both barrels. The keyboard and Synth-Wave influences which were a huge part of previous album “Abyss” are once again front and centre, with the middle eight in ‘Buried In Code’ going particularly “Bladerunner”, and anyone hankering for those crushing chugs will get their fix from the stomping verses on ‘Ghosts In The Mist’.
The real strength as always, however lies not in the melting pot of influences, scintillating musicianship or even Brittney’s frankly phenomenal set of pipes; but great songwriting. Not just great songwriting, but great in a variety of styles. You want a Trad Metal banger with a huge chorus that will be spinning round your bonce for the next two months? ‘Buried In Code’ delivers the goods big style. You want a Prog Metal rager that sounds like “Empire” era Queensryche scoring a big budget 80s sci-fi blockbuster? We got one of those opening the album up on the towering ‘Human Era’, fill your boots!
It wouldn’t be an Unleash the Archers album without a triumphant ballad, and man do they go balls out on this record. ‘Give It Up Or Give It All’ is a full on Steve Perry howling away in tight trousers, Slash peeling off a solo outside a church in the desert rager, except instead of schmaltzy stuff about love it’s a rousing anthem about backing yourself and presumably being a robot. It’s magnificent not only in its execution but because it doesn’t try and add heavy bits for the sake of Metal cred, it’s a pure hairspray, leather chaps, lighters in the air, tearjerker and all the better for it.
At 56 minutes I do feel that the record could benefit from a little trimming here and there, and I found it a little less immediate than the band’s last two records, but once I got a few listens in the hooks and deft flourishes of melody really started to connect. It also helps that Brittney is on imperious vocal form here, once again delivering a passionate, ballsy performance that is closer to Dio and Geoff Tate than the more pristine, classical style many female singers bring to the genre (though she can also do that very well, see the outro on ‘Green and Glass’). Her warm, rich alto is the perfect sweet spot for this kind of Metal and this is probably her best stint behind the mic to date.
I got this album through the same day I had to fly back to shitty old England after a lovely week in Cyprus and it really took the edge off as the soundtrack to my gruelling journey back to the grey skies of Birmingham Airport. The Archer crew have become one of the most reliable sources of unapologetic, balls to the wall Metal of the modern age and ‘Phantoma’ continues that hot streak. If these 10 magnificent tracks don’t see them winning fans and playing bigger stages the world over then maybe it’s time the human race hands the reins over to AI after all, because we clearly can’t be trusted!
‘Seeking Vengeance’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Human Era
02. Ph4/NT0mA
03. Buried In Code
04. The Collective
05. Green & Glass
06. Gods In Decay
07. Give It Up Or Give It All
08. Ghosts In The Mist
09. Seeking Vengeance
10. Blood Empress
LINE-UP:
Brittney Slayes – Vocals
Scott Buchanan – Drums
Grant Truesdell – Guitar, Vocals
Andrew Kingsley – Guitar, Vocals
Nick Miller – Bass
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
