Unleash The Archers – Apex – Album Review And Special Chat with Brittany Slayes by Metallic Rose

Unleash The Archers – Apex – Album Review by Metallic Rose
 
As someone who appreciates the intensity of power metal, I was personally looking forward to Unleash The Archers fourth album, Apex (Napalm). As each single was released I listened intently losing myself in the perfection of each melody, guitar solos, and Brittney Hayes awesome vocals. If Unleash The Archers wanted to celebrate their 10th anniversary with an awesome set, they succeeded with Apex.

In 2007, Unleash The Archers began their musical journey in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) with vocalist Brittney Hayes (AKA Brittney Slayes), drummer, Scott Buchanan, and former guitarist Brayden Dyczkowski. Over the last ten years together the band released four albums, toured numerous cities, and built a strong following of fans worldwide. Like many bands, personnel changes occurred but with each turnover Unleash The Archers improved taking advantage of each member’s musical talents. With Apex one hears the excellent bass lines of Nikko Whitworth, who replaced Kyle Sheppard.

From the opening track, “Awakening”, the musical stage is set with a hard-pounding gallop of speed. The band is entirely in their element and the sound is powerful perfection. “Awakening” was the perfect first track because you want to hear more. Every song stands on its own so much so that there are no skippers here. Brittney Hayes is a superb vocalist and she is never drowned out by the masterful metal riffs provided by the guys. Each piece delivers on melody, intense sweeping guitar solos, throbbing bass, and pounding drums. The lyrical prose and guttural supportive vocals are also perfectly delivered for maximum effect.

The stand out piece of the album is the title track “Apex”. An epic ending to an awesome album, “Apex” is impeccable. Beginning with hauntingly beautiful vocals against an acoustic rhythm, the song then takes off carrying the listener on a cumulative journey. “Apex” both in song and as an album is the best work Unleash The Archers has done thus far. Bravo!

Rating: 9.5/10
 
Tracklist:
1.      Awakening
2.      Shadow Guide
3.      The Matriarch
4.      Cleanse The Bloodlines
5.      The Coward’s Way
6.      False Walls
7.      Ten Thousand Against One
8.      Earth and Ashes
9.      Call Me Immortal
10.  Apex
 

Unleash The Archers:

s  Brittney Hayes (AKA Slayes) – vocals

s  Scott Buchanan – drums

s  Grant Truesdell – guitar, vocals

s  Andrew Kingsley – guitar, vocals

s  Nikko Whitworth - bass

  

Please check out my shows every Saturday at 3pm PST for the Metallic Rose Show and Sundays at 11am PST for my Symphonic Sunday show exclusively on www.brokenneckradio.com.
 

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Metallic Rose Chat with Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers

1. With the year 2017, Unleash The Archers marks their 10 year anniversary with the release of a new album, Apex.  How did this recording process differ from previous releases?                                                                                                       

Quite a bit actually, all of the other records were recorded locally in Vancouver, and Apex was recorded with Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios in Denmark.  We did a tour of Europe last November and then headed into the studio directly after.  We had done a lot of pre-production before hand so everything was written, and we were in great shape after having been on the road for three and a half weeks, so it went pretty smoothly.  Well it kinda had to, as we only had three weeks to get everything done; it was a bit of a stressful situation but we did our best!

1. As with Time Stands Still, Apex features another change in the line-up with bassist Nikko Whitworth. How does the band work through these changes and the effects on change have on songwriting?                                                                                                           

Changing members sucks, it’s never something we want, but people change and their priorities change and you gotta move on.  Songwriting isn’t really affected because Andrew and Grant do that for the most part, but Nikko is an insanely talented bass player so he was given free reign to noodle and play around with the bass lines.  I mean there were some parts where Andrew would specify what he felt the bass should to do best accent the guitar riff, but for the most part Nikko did his best to provide a solid foundation while also complementing the other instruments.  We all worked really well together so hopefully he’ll stick around  ;)

1. Apex has 10 tracks from the opening song appropriately named Awakening to the title track Apex. Is this album a pinnacle in the making of the Archers?

Hahaha I wouldn’t say this is the pinnacle, no, but we’re super happy with how it turned out.  The name of the record is intertwined with the story; in fact this year being our tenth anniversary had never crossed my mind until Napalm mentioned it!  We have already started playing around with the next record, and I think the best is yet to come!

1. Where does the band find inspiration and influences in creating such awesome melodies and powerful riffs?

All over the place!  We listen to many different types of music, and many genres of metal, so whatever we are listening to at the time of writing will usually work its way into our sound, regardless of what type of music it may be.  I’ve been listening to a lot of extreme death and classical and folk music these days, so that will probably influence my writing style on the next album!  Andrew loves progressive metal and country, so just imagine a record inspired by those hahaha!  There are no rules in music, no boundaries, we experiment with lots of different styles and techniques and do our best to create a sound that is catchy but also interesting and captivating for the listener. 

1. Can we expect another tour in the works?

You sure can!  Europe dates are nearing completion, and once that is solid we will focus on North America.  We are hoping to do both this fall but you know what they say about best-laid plans!  South America is also on the list, we’ve never been there but we know we’ve got a lot of fans waiting for us so we’re going to do our best to make that happen in the coming months as well!

1. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia how does your audience differ in other areas outside of Canada?

Our fans are amazing no matter where they are!  Of course our hometown fans are always going to be special to us as they have supported us from the very start, but as far as we’ve noticed people are just as awesome on the other side of the planet as they are here!  We do our best to keep in touch with fans via social media as much as possible, and we have heard from men, women, the young, the old, and everything in between!  Even cats  ;)  Our fans are the best, and we would be absolutely nowhere without them.

1. When you are out on the road do you take any “home” comforts along?

My pillow!  I always take my pillow, even when we fly  ;)  I also bring books and my favorite tea, for nights when I don’t feel like partying, and I’ll load my iPad up with comics and my laptop up with movies and TV series’ for those long drives!  The thing I miss most when I’m on tour is the ability to cuddle up on the couch and watch a film so I can at least achieve a bit of that with my pillow, my laptop and a set of headphones  ;)

1. Unleash The Archers songs are absolute powerhouses, do you ever experience strain on your vocal cords?

I do a lot of belting on this record so I have had to work extra hard to get my diaphragm and voice in shape, but sometimes you just get tired and you sing like crap and yeah, your voice becomes strained or worn-out.  The only things you can do are take care of yourself as best as possible and not push it when you’re feeling vulnerable!  I cheat and push harder parts up into my head voice if I’m feeling parts are becoming forced, but that’s lame so I try not to do that very often.  If you want to last all tour long though you can’t take any chances!

1. I often say that people who love heavy metal music belong to one big, fun family. Do you stay connected to other bands, your fans, and former Archers?

Of course!  I totally agree that we are one big family!  All across this planet if you meet someone that likes metal there is this instant connection, and it’s a great way to make new friends  ;)  Everyone is so kind and supportive and of course there are some bad eggs but in general those people are everywhere so, no point in letting them negatively affect the scene!  The music industry can be a brutal place so our friends and fans are what help us push on through the darker times  J

1. Any parting words for Unleash The Archers fans?

Just want to thank everyone for taking the time out of their day to listen to me rattle on about UTA!  If you haven’t checked out Apex yet we’ve got videos up on Napalm’s Youtube channel, and if you want to say hi we always answer our facebook messages!  Thanks so much and hope to see you all on the road very soon!

- Brittney Slayes