Canadian metal band Unleash the Archers will issue its sixth studio release, “Phantoma,” an AI-inspired concept album, on May 10, 2024, via Napalm Records. It follows the band’s breakout 2020 album, “Abyss,” which won the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year after debuting at number 1 on the U.S. Current Hard Music and Top New Artist charts.
Pre-order “Phantom” here.
Frontwoman and lyricist Brittney Slayes conjured the concept of “Phantoma” in 2021, before the swarm of commentary surrounding AI began to reach an all-time high. Led by the album’s protagonist Phantoma, a Phase 4 / Network Tier 0 unit – model A, the story recounts the trials of AI gaining sentience on a dystopian, near-future planet Earth.
Along with the album announcement, Unleash the Archers has shared the record’s first single, “Green & Glass.” Its accompanying music video features Phantoma discovering new and harrowing realities, and was created using AI while still supporting traditional artists by having character models trained exclusively on a body of work licensed from artist Bo Bradshaw.
“We struggled for a while to decide which song would lead the way for this record, and in the end chose ‘Green & Glass’ because it is the song that inspired the cover artwork, but also because it doesn’t give too much away about the concept behind the album,” the band said. “We wanted nothing more than to be able to create a fully cinematic retelling of the story through our music videos and were so stoked when the boys at RuneGate Studio expressed an interest in learning how to use Stable Diffusion to make our dreams come true! They trained the model on the work of Bo Bradshaw, which gives it a beautifully unique animation style; we got to bring his magnificent t-shirt artwork to life!”
Unleash the Archers used AI during the writing, filming and production process on “Phantoma,” and weaved electronic and synthwave elements throughout the album’s 10 songs, which—in line with its theme—prove much darker and heavier in comparison to the bright positivity of “Abyss.”
“Phantoma” was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, with lead guitarist Andrew Kingsley at the helm as both principal songwriter and producer.
“Phantoma” track listing:
1. Human Era
2. Ph4/NT0mA
3. Buried In Code
4. The Collective
5. Green & Glass
6. Gods In Decay
7. Give It Up or Give It All
8. Ghosts in the Mist
9. Seeking Vengeance
10. Blood Empress
“Phantoma” will be available in the following formats:
- Earbook Edition with 2CD (2 Bonus Tracks and instrumental version of the album), 7″ Single (2 bonus tracks on Black vinyl), 60 pp booklet (Napalm Mail Order only – limited to 1000)
- 2LP Gatefold in Marbled Orange Red with 24 page vinyl booklet and artprint (Napalm Mail Order only – limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Glow In the Dark (Napalm Mail Order only – limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Splatter Aquamarine Orange (Napalm International Mail Order only – limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Transparent Lime Green (Napalm North American Mail Order only – limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Silver (North American indie retail only – limited to 700)
- 2LP Gatefold in Black
- Cassette Tape Edition in Fluorescent Green with White Print (Napalm Mail Order only – limited to 200)
- Jewel Case CD Edition
- Digital Album
Unleash the Archers will tour across the globe in 2024, with dates already announced in North America, Europe, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.
Tour dates:
Legions of Metal Festival
5/03 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies
Australia and New Zealand headline shows
6/05 – Canberra, AU @ Basement
6/06 – Sydney, AU @ Manning
6/07 – Melbourne, AU @ Croxton
6/08 – Brisbane, AU @ The Zoo
6/09 – Adelaide, AU @ Lion Arts
6/13 – Auckland, NZ @ Galatos
6/14 – Wellington, NZ @ Valhalla
European festivals
7/05 – Ballenstedt, DE @ Rock Harz
7/06 – Knislinge, SE @ Time To Rock
7/12 – Visovice, CZ @ Masters Of Rock
7/19 – Laukaa, FI @ John Smith Fest
7/21 – Baile Figa, RO @ Celtic Transylvania
8/02 – Wacken, DE @ Wacken Open Air
8/09 – Villena, ES @ Leyendas Del Rock
8/10 – Walton-On-Trent, UK @ Bloodstock
supporting Powerwolf in North America
8/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Hollywood Palladium
8/31 – Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theatre
9/03 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre
9/04 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora Theatre
9/05 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
9/07 – Tampa, FL @ Jannus Landing
9/08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
9/09 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
9/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
9/13 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
9/14 – New York City, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
9/15 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
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