UNLEASH THE ARCHERS – Apex (Album Review)

Prepare to get your head blown off (in the very best way) by this powerhouse vocalist, Brittney Slayes, and her melodic power metal quintet. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, Unleash the Archers are quickly reminding me of all the reasons I have a love for this type of music. I wouldn’t consider this to be death metal at all (although some have used that reference), this band is a super talented, melodic speed metal band to me (if that’s a thing). It’s always the vocals that make my final decision on whether or not I’m going to like a band, regardless of how awesome the musicians are, and let me tell you…this woman can sing!

Unleash the Archers released Apex on June 2nd on Napalm Records and it’s a full concept album. This is the first time ever an album of theirs has made it onto the Billboard charts, and they are thrilled!

Apex tells the dark story of a journey to free a soul from immortality while at the same time aiding in continuing immortality. From the first song, “Awakening”, to the end track, “Apex”, the story remains compelling and totally cohesive. I’d love to see how this plays out, on stage. “Awakening” starts out with a really cool intro and then explodes into a fast paced introduction to what continues to be a hard hitting and exciting journey through time and immortality. You’ve got the “Shadow Guide”, “The Matriarch”, then “Cleanse the Bloodlines” before we hear about “The Coward’s Way”.

We have an immortal hero, and a villain in search of immortality, a dark queen who has summoned our hero, with a promise to set his soul free. He must find her evil sons, so she can, herself, slay them, to continue her own powerful and immortal reign. We follow along in the gripping journey to find the sons and then witness a war…“Ten Thousand Against One” until we reach the “Apex”. I won’t spoil it for you. It’s a fabulous CD, with a great conceptual story, and the musicianship is exceptional on all accounts. I can’t say enough about the stellar vocals. Powerful, yet beautifully melodic.

Apex is now in my collection now, for sure and if you’re a fan of melodic rock, speed metal, power metal, melodic metal or however you define it, you’ll want it in your collection as well.

BUY: APEX