Review: Unleash the Archers’ Phantoma Has an Interesting Concept That Falls Short
I have a lot of respect for Unleash the Archers. Over the past decade and change, the Canadian power metal outfit have shown themselves to possess a genuine passion and drive for what they do, touring all over the world and churning out a steady flow of truly entertaining material (some of which is admittedly very cheesy, but that’s power metal for ya). They also make it a point to interact directly with their fanbase as much as possible, hosting a number of Twitch streams and even giving a few lucky fans the chance to play D&D with them a few years back as they acted out the storylines for their two previous albums Apex and Abyss. That generosity and approachability have helped garner them a loyal following which, in my opinion, is both commendable and well deserved.
That being said, I was excited to finally get the chance to check out their newest album Phantoma, even in spite of the blowback they received for their use of AI in the music video for the single “Green & Glass”. Their concept albums have always been nothing if not ambitious, and while artificial intelligence in and of itself is a touchy subject to navigate, I can appreciate the fascination with it and the desire to explore those themes in the setting of a distant dystopian future. The aesthetic alone certainly lends itself to a metal album, and so begins the journey of the titular character Phase 4 Network Tier 0 unit- Model A, aka PH4NT0MA, a cybernetic humanoid trying to find their place in a hostile world and learn what it is that truly makes us human.
It’s a fun concept loaded with tons of philosophical quandaries, but unfortunately the music itself does not live up to the grandeur of its overarching story, nor does it reflect the palpable hunger that could be felt in previous releases. 2017’s Apex in particular was an absolute powerhouse, chock full of exciting and well-written riffs, blistering solos, and an unbelievable vocal performance by the incomparable Brittney Slayes. The follow-up, 2020’s Abyss, was noticeably slower and felt a bit more laid-back, but it still had a good sense of pacing and was a solid enough continuation of what came before. However, this time around, the only aspect that feels like a lot of effort was put into it is the concept of the album and the storyline itself.
To their credit, I still think Brittney Slayes is one of the best singers I have ever heard, and not just in metal, but, like, at all. Period. Her range is incredible, her technique and breath control are immaculate, and she can pull off just about any style you can think of, from metal to opera to pop and anything in between. I’m not exaggerating when I say that she is talented enough to stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Adele, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, etc. and still hold her own, and she would remain humble while doing so. I’ve often wondered what it would sound like if a pop singer of that caliber were to venture into metal and actually take it seriously, and Unleash the Archers are the answer to that question. Needless to say, her singing is without a doubt the highlight of this entire album.
As for the rest of the music, it’s not objectively bad or sloppily written, but it does feel like power metal by numbers, very cut and dry. It would have been pretty exciting if it came out in the ’80s, but with our modern sensibilities and their own previous track record hovering over them, it’s disappointing to hear them take what seems like the easy way out. There are some pretty ripping solos scattered throughout, but when paired with such lackluster riffs they end up feeling like a one night stand: entertaining enough to get the job done, but ultimately forgettable.
There are a couple of highlights though, or at least parts that put a smile on my face. The chorus for the third track “Buried in Code” is extremely catchy, all but guaranteed to become an earworm. It’s just good old fashioned heavy metal fun, and I actually found myself going back to that particular song the most. And speaking of good old fashioned heavy metal, the seventh track “Give It Up or Give It All” is a straight up power ballad so cheesy that those with lactose intolerance should avoid it at all costs, but for some reason I goddamn love it. There are parts of it that remind me of “How Can Heaven Love Me” by Sarah Brightman (which I bet these guys could absolutely destroy a cover of), and I have a soft spot for that song as well, so that correlation pretty much sealed the deal for me. I might love it for the wrong reasons, but if nothing else it does break up the pacing in an unexpected way, and no power metal album is complete without a slightly cringey ballad, so screw it, I’ll take it.
Overall, though, there’s just not enough pizazz to keep the hype train rolling. There are some slow blast beats in the final minute of the closing track “Blood Empress” as it slowly fades out, but it all feels like too little too late; it doesn’t do so in a way that feels like the song was building up to it the entire time, and it’s not enough to redeem the rest of the album’s lack of ferocity. I kept waiting for them to kick things up a notch because I knew that they are fully capable of doing so, but sadly it just never happened, and the end result feels like the band just ran out of juice.
I still consider myself a fan of Unleash the Archers, but even as a fan, this album feels very skippable. It’s a harsh thing to say, but when we love someone and know that they have the ability to do so much better, then it is our responsibility to hold them to a higher standard and call them out when it’s obvious that they are holding themselves back and not living up to their full potential. I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. Here’s hoping that their 2017 masterpiece doesn’t end up embodying its namesake in the context of their career. I’m an optimist, though, so I don’t think that will happen; I believe this band still has a lot to offer, but they would also benefit greatly from a trip back to the drawing board.
Phantoma drops Friday, May 10 via Napalm Records. Pre-order your copy here
