Every now and then, I come across a song in a video, film, or TV series that makes me a fan of the artist.
It happened after I heard a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club song in a trailer for a game I have forgotten. I also discovered the psychedelic rock band, The Black Angels on the Alan Wake soundtrack that came with the special edition of the game.
Then, I got Spotify and it started suggesting new music to me based on what I was listening to. I listen to a variety of genres as I listen to what is suitable for whatever type of book I am writing.
While I was writing a Sword and Sorcery novel, I filled my ears with a lot of metal (mostly the classics and power metal.) The likes of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden frequently rotated my playlist.
One day I decided to see the playlist of songs Spotify had compiled for me based on my recent activity, and I discovered what must be one of my favourite modern bands.
Unleash The Archers
Their name alone caught my attention right away. I started listening to their concept album, Apex. I was hooked on the overarching storyline being told across the songs.
The band has an Iron Maiden feel to them, especially the song Apex. Also, lead singer Brittany Slayes has a killer voice and can hit quite high notes. Seriously, these guys are metal.
Fantasy Pop Culture
It’s no surprise games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are heavily associated with the metal genre. There’s even heavy metal mods that replace the game’s original score.
Unleash The Archers did a Skyrim inspired music video for the song Cleanse The Bloodlines off their Apex album. It featured the familiar face of Michael Antonakos who is the face and voice of Alexios from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
The video itself is beautiful with haunting shots and an aesthetic that oozes with sword and sorcery.
The band recently released a sequel concept album to Apex and are finding their own little spot in pop culture. If you are brave enough, check them out.
