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Eight years after laying waste to a tiny pub in Edinburgh on the closing night of their UK tour (followed by after-show karaoke shenanigans that, thanks to a hair-raising version of Queensrÿche’s ‘Queen of the Reich’ by UTA vocalist Brittney Slayes, are now firmly ensconsed in folklore because this is how Arjen Lucassen discovered Brittney and recruited her into the Prog Metal Avengers known as Ayreon), Canadian metallers Unleash The Archers finally returned to Scotland.
With shows also in Manchester and Nottingham, it was a rare regional visit from UTA that offered their ever-growing army of fans a chance to catch the band outside of London. Appearing at Bloodstock in 2024 was a game-changer for the Canadians. Coming a few months after releasing the masterful ‘Phantoma’ album, performing in the Derbyshire sun felt like a turning point for the band, and the result is a stock in the ascendancy and perhaps a severe miscalculation from all involved in just how popular Unleash The Archers are getting to be. Lengthier tours will no doubt follow, but for now, a handful of shows in between EU summer festival appearances is a start.
With their mantra of “It’s ALL FOR METAL and Metal For All!!”, German-Italian six-piece All For Metal are a great choice for the special guests slot. While still relatively new as a band, All For Metal are seasoned players. Co-lead vocalists Tetzel (Asenblut) and musical stage performer (Bat Out of Hell – The Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar), Antonio Calanna, have years of live experience between them, and with a bunch of seasoned pros alongside them, they are making a name for themselves as a formidable live act.
While Manowar are not as much of a success in the UK as they would like, they do enjoy festival-headliner status in Europe, and their legacy has inspired many. All For Metal are clearly inspired by the “death to false metal” legends, but unlike Joey DeMaio, Eric Adams, and company, who play it straight, All For Metal (whilst deadly serious about their craft) play it with a nod and a smile that says “This is metal, it’s supposed to be larger than life…and fun!”. And on both fronts, All For Metal excel.
The contrast in vocal styles from the two vocalists gives the band a foot up on the many acts that have the power metal scene bursting at the seams. Tetzel handles the low end, with a booming, growling voice that is capable of waking all the Gods in Valhalla from their slumber, while Antonio Calanna offers up a more classically trained, higher vocal, and once you observe Calanna in action, his stage background makes perfect sense.
Think Conan the Barbarian meets Thor fantasy-inspired metal, and you are on the right path. Each band member is dressed in fantasy garb, with bassist Florian Toma getting extra points for sporting a kilt (and slapping out ‘Flower of Scotland’ during his bass solo), guitarists Jassy Pabst (who depart’s the band after the Summer shows) and Ursula Zanichelli go with a Mad Max Road Warrior look, while masked drummer Leif Jensen is over in the corner, in darkness making himself heard.
Fantastic visually, with great stage presence from each performer, All For Metal also crucially has the songs to match. Set-opener ‘All For Metal’ has a fantastic chugging ‘Holy Diver’ feel to it, and highlights how well the two different vocal styles complement each other, while the insanely catchy ‘Fury of the Gods’ makes you want to drink steins of beer and raise hell. ‘Raise Your Hammer’ has a Celtic jig-vibe, and heaps of audience participation throughout (along with some hair-raising screams from Calanna, and a killer solo from Jassy), as does the set closing romp ‘Gods Of Metal’, which has fists pumping in the air in unison.
Great fun, and a set that you’ll still be talking about for weeks afterward. Catch All For Metal at Bloodstock in August; they will crush it, and not just because of Tetzel’s mighty hammer—more information, HERE.
It’s not just the size of the venue and crowds that have grown since Unleash The Archers were last here; the band has also grown in stagecraft and confidence, something that only comes with experience, slogging their guts out travelling the vast spaces of British Columbia and constantly one-upping themselves with each album released.
2020’s ‘Abyss’ album is the starting point for the set with the title track, ‘Soulbound’, and ‘Faster Than Light’, all peeled off one after the other in quick succession. It’s hard not to get carried away with superlatives when it comes to UTA vocalist Brittney Slayes, but she is faultless and one of the strongest vocalists (regardless of gender) in metal today, and the ease with which she dispatches those three fast opening tracks without barely pausing for breath is staggering. Propelled forward by the ever-reliable Scott Buchanan behind the kit (his kick-drum work is a joy to behold), the opening twenty minutes or so fly past in a blur.
Finally, Slayes pauses for a breath, and surveys all that is unfolding in front of her…“On a Tuesday night!” and after asking how many people have work in the morning, she declares, “Well, we are not going to go easy on you…”. Shout-outs go to THAT karaoke session from the last visit, and then the band explodes headfirst into another YouTube hit with ‘Awakening’, fans of playthroughs honestly do need to check out the one for ‘Awakening’ as it is something special and highlights the incredible playing from the guys in the band.
Bassist Nick Miller (official member from 2021) never got the memo that bassists are supposed to be the quiet, studious ones in the band, and sets out to unleash his inner guitar god as he covers every inch of the stage, pulling every pose known to man, and smiling throughout it all. Perhaps Miller is what UTA were always missing? A sense of fun onstage to offset the seriousness of the playing? Either way, he’s a great addition, and along with Grant Truesdell (guitars/demonic screams), you can tell that these guys are the mischief makers in the band. Completed by Andrew Kingsley (guitars/vocals), Unleash The Archers are one of the most complete bands out there at the moment: serious enough to have the musos in the crowd watch their every move as they switch through gears, and fun enough to tick all the boxes of those who just want to bang their head, raise their fists, and have fun.
After blitzing through some older material, such as ‘Tonight We Ride’ and ‘Test Your Metal’, both lifted from ‘Time Stands Still’, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year with a remastered reissue, the band turns to the most recent offering, ‘Phantoma’, for a homestraight that would be the envy of larger, more household names. ‘Ghosts In The Mist’, ‘Green & Glass’, ‘Gods in Decay’ – sidebar: that’s a lot of fucking “G’s” right there – and ‘Blood Empress’ all showcase the maturity and depth that UTA have gained from these last few years in the spotlight. Ending with a roof-raising version of the classic Canadian folk song ‘Northwest Passage’ (originally written and recorded by Stan Rogers, and often considered Canada’s alternative national anthem) this was one of those nights where you honestly had to be there.
After a period of well-earned rest, Unleash The Archers start the writing process on studio album number seven. Hopefully, it won’t be the same length of wait between albums five and six, but however long it takes, it should be something special from one of the rising forces in metal today. Perhaps if Steve Harris gets tired of taking his son’s band out on the road with him, he might give a band like Unleash The Archers a chance of playing arenas/stadiums?
Connect with Unleash The Archers, HERE.
Review – Dave
Images – Dave Jamieson
