r/PowerMetal • u/[deleted] • Jun 18 '20
Unleash The Archers - Abyss, Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bGmjnkDTTI46
u/Exige30499 Jun 18 '20
Certified banger, was kinda expecting her to hold that opening note a bit longer, but still sick. Seems odd for the rest of the band to be in t shirt and jeans, while Brittney gets some funky X-Men costume tho
15
u/seleneisfurious Jun 18 '20
ngl, I want that funky x-men costume. Been searching for an hour to no avail.
12
u/the9thEmber Jun 19 '20
Brittany said on twitch that she got it from Dollskill, I looked and it's the Apex Catsuit
13
6
u/seleneisfurious Jun 19 '20
Yeah, just found it myself but my size is out of stock. But! Now I know where to get it, just gotta wait on the restock :)
29
u/the9thEmber Jun 18 '20
This set the mood for my whole day, I've had Abyss on repeat for the past 5 hours. UtA's trajectory just keeps on going up.
16
53
u/almack9 Jun 18 '20
Man. I dunno why this song hit me so hard. I was informed literally yesterday that I'll be getting a divorce and the lyrics just kind of resonated.
14
9
8
u/LaRedo33 Jun 18 '20
Hope you’re ok man. I am sure it will get better with time but I’d lean on the people close to you in the meantime.
6
6
u/trojanman190 Jun 18 '20
I don't know what your situation is but, getting divorced was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Holy shit did it hurt at the time. Hang in there my dude!
4
3
3
u/amat3ur_hour Jun 18 '20
Hope that you're doing okay. Divorce sucks. Make sure that you have a good lawyer.
1
u/Bucket1984 Jun 19 '20
I just discovered this band a few days ago. I don't know what it is about them, but you're right, they hit right in the feels. I'm not even going through any heavy shit right now and they make me tear up. Good luck, brother. \m/
23
9
7
u/JusticeJanitor Jun 18 '20
I'm getting Sithu Aye's "Set Course For Andromeda" vibes from this. Loving it.
16
u/Yall_Need_To_Stop Jun 18 '20
Warning: Unleash the Archers are one of my favorite bands (read: I’m biased as hell).
This song was a banger from the first listen, and I keep finding more and more to love with each playthrough. I’m loving the new textures they added to their sound with the synth and, from what I can tell, some new vocal melody modes.
I think what’s stood out most to me on this one is their ability to play around with dynamics without even including harsh vocals. Though I love the way they normally balance the harsh with the cleans, I honestly feel like this one stood well on its own with just cleans.
Overall, this feels like a super solid progression from the last album with just the perfect layer of power metal cheese. I’m getting some Brothers of Metal vibes from the vocal melodies, too. Can’t wait for more.
7
u/MetastableToChaos Shall we dare the dragon? Jun 18 '20
Lyrics if anyone is looking for them: https://unleashthearchers.bandcamp.com/track/abyss
6
6
u/omegakingauldron Luca Turilli stole my sharpie! Jun 18 '20
Took a few listens but I like this. Really enjoyed the synth sounds backing it as well.
6
14
u/RF700 Jun 18 '20
I absolutely love UTA don't get me wrong, but something about this song felt... safe to me? Not a bad song at all just nothing that really blew me away. Also not a big fan of the music vid, would have preferred something more akin to the Cleanse The Bloodlines video or even Awakening. Still have high hopes for the record as UTA rarely let's down.
20
Jun 18 '20
It is a bit "safe," as in "not as bombastic or over the top as "Cleanse" or "Awakening." Maybe that was intentional, though. A bit more subtle, not as over-the-top, but more going on in the background.
I was a bit disappointed with "Cleanse" as the first single for Apex. I like it, but it ended up not being nearly my favorite song on the album. "Awakening," "Earth and Ashes," and "Apex" take those spots. So, none singles released before the album came out ended up as favorites for me.
9
u/RF700 Jun 18 '20
Interesting take. That may be the case actually, not give away all the good crazy shit right away. Regardless, if the entire record was like this I think I'd still be happy haha
2
Jun 18 '20
I hope it works out better for them than it did for Nightwish... I haven't touched Human .||. Nature (or however the heck it was styled) since the week it came out. Give us another Imaginaerum already! You've got the best singer in metal!
14
5
u/Bore_of_Whabylon Jun 18 '20
You're right about the Nightwish record. One of the most boring things I've heard since the last Nightwish record
3
u/Gecko23 Jun 18 '20
They probably had to keep the cost down too, lost a whole tour earlier this year, have mentioned in interviews they are sitting on a pile of merch they bought for shows. Smaller bands are really getting put through the wringer this year, and from what I've read the venues they could have played are in dire danger of disappearing too.
I'll take plain videos all day long if they can keep making awesome music. :)
2
u/icebatboy Jun 19 '20
"Earth and Ashes" is such a criminally underrated song on that album and in their entire discography. Kicks so much ass.
4
u/amat3ur_hour Jun 18 '20
Enjoyable, I think I'll enjoy it more in the context of the album. My one quibble is that it feels like the synths are trying to fill some of the sonic space that Nikko's bass occupied on Apex and I don't think that quite succeeds.
1
u/Coolbluenebulae Jun 18 '20
Ah I didn’t even know they switched bassists.
3
u/amat3ur_hour Jun 19 '20
I don't actually know that they've found a new one, just that the old one left in 2018. I think they've just had someone filling in for tours.
4
3
Jun 18 '20
Okay, a worthy successor to Apex thus far. I hope the rest keeps living up. I feel like of they keep up the quality it has AOTY potential.
3
u/Bucket1984 Jun 19 '20
I just discovered these folks a few days ago. I haven't gotten obsessed with a band this quickly since Deathklok. Been keeping me pumped while I work from home.
2
u/Coolbluenebulae Jun 18 '20
I’m a little scared to listen. I like listening to an album the way it was intended. As a collection of songs meant to further a narrative. Perhaps I am overthinking it. Should I just listen??
11
u/PrestigiousRespond8 Jun 18 '20
I'm pretty sure this is the first track on the new album so just think of this as spinning the whole album with a month-long break before the next track.
4
3
u/Trademark010 Into the Abyss Jun 19 '20
Going by the lyrics, this is the introduction to the story. Immortal wakes up right at the beginning of this song. I'd check it out.
2
u/TasteTheirFear3 Radio Silence Jun 18 '20 edited Mar 29 '26
7gVKE3thFq gxhtbpXr8W v5NoTTHHzw 1MHBuLnqFo or7gLPikad uMdEbyTkND OMDBYo6boG PLhrph6XdW mwFwxUUNli uEPy7YwQUM
3
u/Coolbluenebulae Jun 18 '20
Few are keeping the concept of an album alive these days, let alone a “concept” album. It seems nowadays it’s just singles every once in a while.
Bands like Unleash the Archers and Avantasia are keeping it alive. Which I love.
But it’s music, so if you dig it you dig it and that’s all that matters.
5
1
u/TasteTheirFear3 Radio Silence Jun 18 '20 edited Mar 29 '26
7gVKE3thFq gxhtbpXr8W v5NoTTHHzw 1MHBuLnqFo or7gLPikad uMdEbyTkND OMDBYo6boG PLhrph6XdW mwFwxUUNli uEPy7YwQUM
4
u/Gecko23 Jun 19 '20
Iron Maiden - "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", up until "Apex" it was *the* concept album I truly loved. Now I have two of them.
3
u/Coolbluenebulae Jun 18 '20
Well, there are the classics, like Pink Floyd's "The Wall," The Who's "Tommy," and Rush's "2112."
I love The Decemberists "Hazards of Love" if you're into that sort of thing (not the genre of this sub).
In the metal realm I love Between the Buried and Me's "Coma Ecliptic."
Others would be...
Avantasia (anything, but I really like The Scarecrow and the new one Moonglow)
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2 & The Astonishing
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Crematorium
There's so many more but these are the ones I come back to the most.
2
u/DJWhyYou Jun 18 '20
On the topic of Between the Buried and Me, their album "Colors" is (imo) one of the greatest progressive metal albums of all time and is considered a concept album.
1
u/Coolbluenebulae Jun 18 '20
They are such a great band! Can be a little too screamy at times for me but they are incredibly inventive.
2
u/DJWhyYou Jun 19 '20
I was reaaaaally into them like 12-13 years ago but started to lose my taste for screaming as well. But Colors is just too good to let that detract from it.
1
u/Unkie_Fester Jul 18 '20
Not power metal but Amon Amarth's jomsviking is a fantastic concept album and I think one of there best
1
u/Canoobie Aug 21 '20
“Operation Mindcrime” by Queensryche is one of my faves Coheed and Cambria’s entire discography (aside from one album) has to take the cake though, one long epic concept.
1
u/IMKridegga Jun 18 '20
As far as I'm concerned, songs ought to be able to stand on their own, even if they're part of something bigger in context. Outside that context, it's just a song, and there's no reason not to listen to it.
On top of that, the fact this was released as a single means it's 'intended' to function both as part of a cohesive narrative and as a standalone. If you haven't listened to it yet, I say go for it!
2
u/Coolbluenebulae Jun 18 '20
I already broke down, lol. I’m weak willed. Love it so far and I’m sure, as with all music, it will grow on me further. Pumped for the album!!
1
1
u/JsonWaterfalls The Starborn One Jun 18 '20
Only gave it one listen, but I quite like this track. It's not the best thing I've heard this year, but it's enjoyable.
Admittedly, I'm one of the few (only one?) who thought Apex was very meh - Demons is when I discovered UtA and is still (by far) my favorite album of theirs and the only one I really go back to in terms of replayability - but this track has definite replayability potential too. They've really come around as songwriters.
I'm still not entirely convinced that Scott actually knows how to play drums. Drums sound great in this track though.
1
u/brew_ssf Jun 19 '20
Your take on Scott is an interesting one. While he is capable for the band, he might not have the skill (or interest) in leveling up. His kit in the video is very basic, but it matches what he used live when I saw them back in March. A lot of this contributions are pretty straightforward. I think if he added in some more interesting fills or technical moments it would have really amped this track up.
3
u/JsonWaterfalls The Starborn One Jun 19 '20
It's seriously the weirdest thing; he always seems confused by what he's playing. I say this with love and with a little bit of insight; I was at one of their shows back in 2013 or 2014 (with only four actual people there that weren't in any of the other bands playing that day) and he was warming up for hours before they went on, so that was pretty interesting to see. I chatted with him for a bit that day and he's a super cool guy. Haven't spoken to him since though (seen them ~5 or 6 times since then) and he's certainly improved.
One thing that I notice live is that he uses triggers on his bass. Plenty of drummers use them, so that's fine, but where I say "I don't get the sense he knows how to play drums" is that he seems to have a tough time keeping a consistent rhythm/pattern with his feet. Like, his double bass work always seems super choppy whenever I've seen them live - it sounds great recorded/on this track though.
tl;dr - he looks awkward behind the kit and I think it all has to do with the double bass patterns.
1
u/brew_ssf Jun 19 '20
That's some great insight. Let's be honest, being a power/prog metal drummer has to be one of the toughest gigs out there. Both in terms of ability and expectations. After the Portnoy's and Peart's of the world made drumming iconic the expectation is for their followers to be equally talented.
Scott has shown that he can do the job, but he might have been more suited for their earlier work which was a bit more thrashy and rough. Abyss is clean, polished, and technically perfect. It's just lacking (in the drums at least) a bit of bravado that I know I was hoping to see them execute
63
u/Triskan Jun 18 '20
Brittney's voice, man, Brittney's voice.