Unleash the Archers: Phantoma
Phantoma
Human Era (5:40)
Ph4/NT0mA (6:30)
Buried in Code (3:39)
The Collective (5:53)
Green & Glass (5:30)
Gods in Decay (5:02)
Give It Up or Give It All (7:35)
Ghosts in the Mist (5:46)
Seeking Vengeance (5:22)
Blood Empress (5:10)
I had the pleasure of seeing Unleash the Archers last year at ProgPower USA. Aside from the rip-roaring heavy metal goodness, there were two highlights of the show. The first was Britney Slayes calling me out individually for recognising that she f-ed up the lyrics on the bridge of Faster than Light. The second was Britney announcing that the band would be dropping a new record in 2024, followed by a debut of the songsGhosts in the Mist from said record. Well, it is 2024, and Phantoma is here. Does the story of metal AI stack up to the double-album tale of the Immortal?
From its opening notes, any UtA fan will notice that Phantoma is a different sort of record to its two predecessors. I loved both Apex and Abyss, the former being one of my favourite power metal records of the last decade. Phantoma is still classic UtA, but it has a slightly different soundscape. It is far more synth-heavy, a direction perhaps signaled by some of the cuts in Abyss. This “artificial” sound certainly fits the theme of the record, which deals with the struggles of a sentient A.I. amidst some sort of war between robots and humans.
I do applaud them for not doing some cheesy computer electronic intro track and just diving right in with Human Era, which is a decent mid-paced rocker. Title track Ph4/NT0mA is a classic UtA banger. It’s got high energy, a soaring Britney Slayes chorus, and a brilliant solo with synths on top of guitars. It’s everything I’ve come to expect from the band and will hopefully be a live staple. They hit those hallmarks a few times on this record, and it is really where the band shines.
Let’s talk other strengths. Green & Glass is fantastic, maybe the best track on the record. It offers the most varied soundscape and throws in those growls to add extra colour. The chorus is infectious, and I dare you not to sing along by the final repetition. It also leads right into Gods In Decay to keep the epic feel running. Ghosts in the Mist is another highlight, something I remember liking from their show last year (though seemingly at the cost of Northwest Passage being cut from the set, harumph). Again it utilises the harsh vocals well to synchronise with crushing guitars for a real heavy sound, and to distinguish characters in the story, which is a nice touch. Those riffs sound extra crunchy over-top the light synth melody. It is followed up by Seeking Vengeance, the duo being perhaps the best one-two punch on the record. Overall the record does a pretty good job of conveying the story both musically and lyrically without getting bogged down. You know who the players are, and sort of what’s at stake. It’s enough to keep one interested so as to want to finish the record.
On the flip side though, there are some obvious weaknesses. Many of these tracks fall completely flat and keep the album from being as fantastic as previous efforts. Give It Up Or Give It All is a giant snooze-fest and the lyrics are nigh-unbearable. It brings the record to a screeching halt from which it never fully recovers. At nearly eight minutes it just drags and drags. It is especially noticeable as it is surrounded by much better tracks that makes its weaknesses far more noticeable. Aside from this big miss, none of the other tracks are bad per se. However, cuts like Buried In Code, The Collective, and Blood Empress fail to be memorable. They don’t leave a lasting impression like the catchier tracks. This makes for an up-and-down feeling whilst listening to the album that keeps it from being a cohesive whole.
After a few spins of this record I went back and listened to Apex and Abyss again for comparison. Hot dang Apex just hits so much harder than this does. I was not disinterested for a second and it saves its biggest punch for the end. Phantoma, in contrast, seems to peter off at the end with the unmemorable Blood Empress. It makes me just a tad upset, knowing what Unleash the Archers is capable of, and realising that despite what good it has going for it, Phantoma just misses the mark.
All in all, I would say Phantoma is a very “safe” record. It’s not so wildly experimental as to upset diehard fans, but neither is it so by the numbers as to feel formulaic. It takes a moderate shot at something fresh, and whilst I think a lot works here, it doesn’t reach the heights of Apex for me. I’ll return to many of the songs for sure, and look forward to the next live show, but it’s not a record that I love.
6.5/10
Top Tracks: Green & Glass • Ph4/NT0mA • Ghosts In The Mist