Phantoma – the 6th LP from Canadian energy steel troupe Unharness the Archers, and primary with bassist Nick Miller – arrives with a few stumbling blocks to triumph over. Now not best does it wish to be a worthy successor to what are most probably the gang’s maximum cherished data – 2017’s Apex and 2020’s Abyss – nevertheless it should also pacify listeners who are dissatisfied over their contemporary use of AI within the “Inexperienced & Glass” track video.
Whilst best time will inform if they have got succeeded with the latter state of affairs, they have got most commonly completed the previous. That is not to mention that Phantoma is on par with its two extremely commendable predecessors – via comparability, it is a minimum of slightly much less recent, invigorated, and welcoming – however it is nonetheless somewhat likeable. Subsequently, it is indisputably a worthy addition to their catalog that are meant to please enthusiasts of Unharness the Archers and tool steel generally.
Rather sarcastically (given the aforementioned controversy), Phantoma is an idea album about AI. In particular, and as famous within the press liberate, the storyline used to be conceived via Unharness the Archers frontwoman Brittney Slayes “prior to the swarm of urgent statement surrounding AI and its forthcoming grip on society started to achieve an all-time top.” Focused round protagonist Phantoma (“a Segment 4 / Community Tier 0 unit – fashion A”), the plot “recounts the rigors of AI gaining sentience on a dystopian, near-future planet earth… [to provide] necessary social statement about seeing the brutal truths at the back of the manufactured sheen of social media posturing.”
Narratively, it is normally commonplace territory for any person acquainted with Coheed & Cambria, Ayreon, and Janelle Monae‘s ArchAndroid saga (to not point out movies corresponding to I, Robotic and Blade Runner). That mentioned – and in spite of some tacky on-the-nose lyricism on “Give It Up or Give It All” and in different places – it is compelling sufficient emotionally and philosophically to be worthy of funding and elevate you via till the tip.
After all, Phantoma‘s storytelling is best as just right because the track and making a song that constitute it, and on that entrance, Unharness the Archers triumph extra continuously than now not. After some atmospheric nature sounds, “Human Generation” units the degree with empowering guitar riffs and rhythms along robustly catchy hooks. It is usual stuff, needless to say, however the band continues to do it smartly, with Slayes enduring as one of the most very best singers within the box. (The multilayered vocals – supported via guitarists Grant Truesdell and/or Andrew Kingsley – are particularly inspiring and epic, permitting “Human Generation” to satisfy its promise of kickstarting a weighty saga.)
A couple of different tunes (“Buried in Code,” “Blood Empress,” “Gods in Decay”) are in a similar fashion mild and poppy in comparison to the remainder of the document. As with a lot of Unharness the Archers‘ prior paintings, alternatively, Phantoma actually stands proud when it doubles down at the “steel” aspect in their system. Specifically, each “Ghosts within the Mist” and “The Collective” offset their cleaner and softer cores with growls and ferocious instrumentation. Then, “Buried in Code” and “Inexperienced & Glass” are altogether feistier compositions prior to finale “Blood Empress” wraps all of it up with correctly heroic and affective grandeur.
Truthfully, the largest flaw of Phantoma is a gripe which may be made about so much of energy steel: an excessive amount of of it sounds too identical. But, as with lots of the style’s shining examples, deeper listening finds sufficient nuances to offer each and every observe its personal identification and goal. In that method, Phantoma does not in point of fact push Unharness the Archers ahead artistically up to it cements why they are nonetheless a particularly dependable and praiseworthy a part of the scene. With that during thoughts, it is simple to be enamored via its lore and performances.
