Unleash The Archers + Lutharo + Paladin @ Le Studio TD

After 5 years of waiting, and with two attempts at having a show here, Unleash The Archers finally returned to Montréal to a sold-out crowd. I was there in 2018 when they were touring to promote their first concept album, Apex, and it was a packed Piranha Bar full with fans hungry to hear this band from British Columbia.

A lot has happened with the band in the meantime since that 2018 show. At the beginning of 2020, with plans to promote their album Abyss (which won a Juno in 2021), they joined Dragonforce to start a North American tour as direct support. Everything came to a halt in March when the pandemic hit. In the fall of 2021, the band toured the States and officially announced in December of 2021 that Nick Miller would be their new bassist. The next hurdle for the Archers was an attempt to play Studio TD in December of 2021 with Seven Kingdoms and Aether Realm, but this was cancelled due to COVID as they were attempting to cross the US-Canada border.

In the almost two years since the cancelled date, the Archers have been busy. They took 2022 off from touring to focus on writing and recording their sixth studio album. In October of 2022, Brittney Slayes (vocals) and Scott Buchanan (drums) welcomed into their world their daughter, Lennie Buchanan. With recent announcements, including Wacken Open Air (Germany), Bloodstock Open Air (UK), and a trip to Australia, the future is looking busy for the Archers as a crew.

The show on Saturday, October 21st, was packed in Studio TD, as it officially sold out the day before. The crowd was there from the beginning to support all the bands on tour. The night started off with Paladin, who are an Atlanta-based band with a theme based around video games. Taylor Washington, the lead guitarist and vocals, announced at one point that they were a member short because their bassist (Andy McGraw) was unfortunately unable to pass the Canadian Border Patrol. They still killed their set, with Alex Perra (co-lead guitarist) and Nathan McKinney (drums) putting on a pretty flawless performance. The chemistry on stage between Taylor and Alex sharing lead duties was very tight.

Fresh off their co-headlining North America tour with their fellow support Paladin, Lutharo was a great lead in to Unleash the Archers. Before their set started, Jeff Wilson (recently joined as a replacement guitarist for this part of the tour) pulled a kid in a Metallica shirt on stage to get a pic in front of the cheering crowd. The lights went down, and then the rest of Lutharo joined Jeff on stage. The 8-song set had bits that showcased all the members’ talents. The primary vocal duties were handled by Krista Shipperbottom, and she handled the clean and harsh vocals live like a beast. I don’t think I heard much of a difference between the recorded and live versions of her singing. Victor Bucur (guitars and backing vocals) and Jeff Wilson played off each other’s energy the entire set, while Cory Hofing (drums) and Chris Pacey (bass) kept the rhythm section at a well-controlled high speed perfect for power metal. They performed two of their newest releases during this show too. With “Born To Ride” having been released only three days before the show, it was well received by this audience.

The roar of the crowd when Unleash The Archers finally took the stage after their five-year absence in Montréal was palpable in the smaller Studio TD room. The band entered to the recorded track of “Waking Dream” but immediately got the crowd moving when they followed with “Abyss.” This may have been only their fifth show after their writing/COVID hiatus, but they haven’t lost a beat in their performance. They followed the title track of their Juno-winning album with more from the same album with “Through Stars,” “Soulbound” and “Faster Than Light.” This show marked the 5th performance of their newest track, “Ghosts in the Mist”. It premiered at Mad With Power VI in Madison, Wisconsin, and is set to be released on their new album. It is a nice taste of what is to come and shows a slightly different direction than Abyss and Apex before while keeping the same Unleash The Archers vibe. After the new song, they rolled it back to Apex with “Awakening,” “The Matriarch,” and the title track “Apex”. They made Time Stand Still by rolling it back to their 2015 track, “Tonight We Ride,” before returning to Abyss with “The Wind that Shapes the Land” and “Afterlife” to wrap the show with a crowd shot. They returned to the stage for an encore of “Carry The Flame” to send everyone home with a song to honour those who were no longer around.

In all, it was a great night of music, and I’m looking forward to seeing what all three of these bands have to come in the future. With the tease of “Ghosts in the Mist,” I can’t wait to see where the new album brings Unleash The Archers. Hopefully, the next time they return, they’ll sell out a venue like Theatre Beanfield or MTelus, but I have high hopes for this band as a long-time fan.

Review & photos – Ryan Rumpel

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