I first heard Unleash the Archers a few years ago when the algorithm brought them to me. The idea seemed new and fun: a female fronted power metal band!? Rad! I wasn't impressed, though. I liked them in small doses, but all of their songs started with the singer making the same scream. It was annoying. Because of that, I didn't bother with them. But I guess they planted a seed in me because I bothered to give their new album a listen. This time, I was interested. Phantoma's early singles brought me in, but can it change my opinion?
Most definitely!
Songs on Phantoma are a lot more varied than their video library would have you believe. They don't all start with a scream! Some do, though....
The first thing I notice is how smooth Britney Slayes' voice is. Previous experiences with UtA had me thinking she was forcing her volume to fit in with typical power metal acts. Keep in mind that I haven't listened to them in a while. But here, she's her own woman. It's like a mighty river that cuts through the terrain, and you can see that it's been flowing for eons by how deep the valley it's made is. It may roar and eat anyone who swims in it, but there's no fear of floods, and we can enjoy its beauty. It's still got plenty of force, but there's a lot of class here. I can't get over how amazing she is.
And another thing this album does is what the guitars sound like. Many bands in the genre tend to have their guitars sound like keyboards or electronic bloops. Phantoma mostly avoids this problem, which is ironic. A lot of solos randomly turn into EDM, but I found the music to be more inspired by 80's rock and mainstream metal. Even though it would have made sense to sound like MIDI beeps here.
Phantoma is a concept album about an AI going rogue and wanting to be the real her. It's like a reverse Matrix. She finds a group with similar ideals but discovers they're a militant hive mind, which is the opposite of what she wants. She tries to warn the humans, but they've grown so used to their world destroying laziness. This ends up with her total disillusionment, becoming unsure of who she is, and becoming a god who's lost all she once was. I dig the story, and the lyrics are pure poetry with plenty of rhyme, mid rhyme, and story elements.
Skill) Vocals, lyrics, music, story. Marvelous! 2/2
Variation) There's a lot going on within the songs, as it oft does here, but there's a good amount between the tracks. There's a sorta acoustic song and an '80s power ballad. Everything sounds like you'd expect a band like this to sound, but there's something about it... Maybe it's just enjoyment bias. 2/2
Bangers) It's hard to say since a lot of songs need the entire album to really work, but there are a few songs that might work. There are definitely parts that make me want to make this higher. 1/2
Replayability) I have a thing for great female singers. And this album was so rad that I'm gonna go back to their older stuff. Gotta see if I missed anything. 2/2
Extras) Ten songs at just under an hour to go along with the interesting story. 2/2
Phantoma by Unleash the Archers gets a 9/10. I won't argue if anyone thinks it's a perfect album. From a band I didn't like to one of the best albums of the year. It's amazing what the power of music can do.
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