Unleash the Archers

Like their BC-based colleagues 3 Inches of Blood, Victoria's Unleash the Archers are greatly influenced by classic metal. But unlike the former, while they are certainly talented enough to replicate the prerequisite power metal aspects of blending melody and speed, with clean vocals (Brittney Hays) and growls (Braden Dyczkowski), there's a lack of originality. Hayes is a great vocalist and like Lacuna Coil, the interplay between her strong, but not by any means operatic, voice somewhat complements Dyczkowski's growling, even though, at times, such as on "Tied to Astag," it fails in its attempt to be devilish. The real weak points lie within the songs, which are meandering and sometimes simply bland, making Behold the Devastation uneven. There are great gems, like "Destroyer," but they can easily be overlooked because of pointless tracks like "The Filth and the Fable," which plays like a soundtrack to a cheesy B-grade horror movie. Sure, use your influences as a template for your music, but Unleash the Archers need to be a bit more creative to stand out from the pack.