It’s been a while since we’ve taken the long journey down to the Big Smoke and what better reason to make the trip than to catch the mighty Unleash the Archers as they set out to conquer the capital city. The show has been greatly anticipated, bringing fans from far and wide as this sole UK outing has managed to sell out not just once but twice after its upgrade from London’s iconic venue space Underworld. Trading some of the intimacy of Underworld for the grand ceilings of the historic Islington Assembly Hall doesn’t seem like such a bad trade-off, giving ample room to really showcase the epic nature of tonight’s lineup.
Kicking things off are Floridian outfit Seven Kingdoms. Setting the night off right with the belting “Diamond Handed” as their set opener the band make their presence known early. Galloping guitar riffs and pounding drums abound as vocalist Sabrina Valentine, adorned in crown and burger-themed footwear, soars over it all with a wonderful display of vocal prowess.
This being my introduction to the group, I’ll admit im not completely up to speed with the lore of the burger plushies that line the front of the stage but their presence for sure lends an extra sprinkle of whimsy to a genre that is already built on the idea of having fun. The set as a whole exudes fun and positivity. Just as power metal should be the music is epic, uplifting and you can’t help but get caught up in the waves of infectious energy that the band puts out. Guitarists Camden Cruz and Kevin Byrd are a blast to watch as they run about the stage interacting with the crowd before effortlessly letting rip on an epic guitar line. The band storm through a set of fast-paced, catchy tunes that are sure to win over anyone not already a fan.
As the set winds down a thought comes to mind that will only continue to be reinforced as the night goes on. Is there really anything more joyous and life-affirming than the sound of perfectly pitched vocals layered over a glorious dose of galloping guitars and double bass kicks? Truly sonic perfection that shines that much brighter in a live setting.
Up next are Canadian Juno Award-winning heavy metal unit Striker. The titular warcry-like opening of “Best of the Best of the Best” throws us head first into a whole feast of party anthems played at breakneck speed. The more traditional heavy metal slant to the band’s sound is a subtle but welcome change up to the evenings’ soundscape. Wailing guitar squeals and punchy rapid-fire drums are still the order of the day, but the flavour is rooted squarely in the iconography of leather, chrome, and big eighties-style hair more so than dragons and epic-scale fantasy battles. The audience are absolutely eating it up as they dance and sing along to ever more catchy choruses.
As the lights dim for the final time tonight there is a palpable sense of excitement buzzing in the air. There is no overstating how hotly anticipated a UK appearance of Unleash the Archers has been over the last few years. Flashing back to Bloodstock 2023 when the band were announced to be playing the following year there was a genuine uproar of excitement from the gathered crowd and skipping forward to their packed-out appearance at the 2024 edition of the festival only served in confirming how much the UK was been crying out for more Archers.
The group are also clearly excited to be playing on the island again and at the same time greatly apologetic it couldn’t be a more extensive appearance with vocalist Brittney Slayes self-correcting the “How’s it going London?” greeting to “How’s it going United Kingdom?” Acknowledging the amount of attendees who have clearly travelled from all over to be in the room tonight. Nevertheless, an UTA appearance, however brief, is to be celebrated and that is exactly how the crowd tonight plan to go about it. From the first notes of set opener “Ph4/NT0mA” the gathered masses are a bundle of untethered energy. Fists are furiously thrust towards the sky and voices are raised for chorus after chorus and beyond. Heartfelt, albeit misguided attempts to try match the incredible heights of Slayes iconic vocal runs can occasionally be heard over the general ruckus of the crowd throughout tonight’s extensive set. Guitarists Andrew Kingsley, Grant Truesdell, and bassist Nick Miller do a fantastic job of spurring the crowd on throughout, constantly darting back and forth on stage amid ludicrous guitar wizardry, leading the crowd in chants, and so forth.
Structured in an oddly satisfying way, tonight’s setlist showcases almost exclusively the band’s last three releases. We are treated to a run of helpings from the band’s latest Phantoma. This is followed by a jump back to 2017’s Apex which kicks off with UTA’s now classic “Awakening” possibly one of the two biggest sing-a-longs of the night. “The Matriarch” is welcomed with much enthusiasm from the crowd, this being one of the heavier helpings of The Archers’ catalogue brings with it an extra frenzy of energy, which manifests in the form of the night’s biggest pit.
A quick interval sees us head into the Abyss’ era of proceedings, with the suitably epic title track and “Soulbound” leading the charge. The 100mph hit of adrenaline that is “Faster Than Light” whips up the crowd for the final stretch of the evening which features the only two exceptions from the three albums, the absolutely belting “Tonight We Ride” off of 2015 release “Time Stands Still” on which Slayes challenges the crowd to match every high note along with her. Finally, it seems no Unleash the Archers set would be complete without it, acting as the encore for the night is the hit cover of Stan Roger’s classic “Northwest Passage.” This stands as one final chance for voices to be lost as a room full of people act as a backing chorus, belting out the words at top volume during the acapella-style phrases.
Upon leaving the buzzing venue one can’t help but hope that the memory of tonight may help plant the seed of a possible full UK tour at some point in the future because we honestly cannot wait to have the Archers back on these shores. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BILL MAWDSLEY
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