Unleash the Archers

Early Years

Unleash The Archers was formed in late 2007 by vocalist Brittney Hayes (a.k.a. Brittney Slayes) and drummer Scott Buchanan with former member Brayden Dyczkowski on guitar, whom Scott had played with previously in an independent death metal project. Former member Mike Selman was brought on after his departure from Canadian death metal band Meatlocker Seven. The position of bass player was unfilled for the first few months of Unleash The Archers' career, until Zahk Hedstrom joined in October 2007 to complete the lineup. In late 2008 the band recorded a self-titled four song demo, which featured two songs they would end up re-recording for their first studio album.

Behold The Devastation

Their debut studio album was recorded with Jason Hywell Martin at Omega Mediacore Studios in Richmond, BC and was released independently in August 2009. This was the only album to feature the band’s original lineup in its entirety.

Demons Of The AstroWaste

The band's sophomore effort was recorded with Nick Engwer and Stu McKillop at the Hive Soundlab in Burnaby, BC and was released independently in May 2011. This album features two solos from Grant Truesdell, who would step in as the new guitar player later that same year after the departure of Mike Selman prior to the recording. The album was a concept album based on the exploits of a mercenary in space and was set far into the future.

Defy The Skies

This album was a three song EP released solely on 7” vinyl. A bonus fourth track titled ‘Arise’ was given to those that pre-ordered, but was later released on the band’s bandcamp page in digital format only. This record also marked the departure of original bassist Zahk Hedstrom.

Time Stands Still

In February 2015 the band announced their signing with Napalm Records, and soon after the title, track listing and release date for their upcoming studio album Time Stands Still were revealed. The album was released in Europe on June 26 and in North America on July 10. The album was originally slated for a late-Summer/early-Fall 2014 release, but the release was pushed back after the band was signed by Napalm Records. This album was the first without Brayden Dyczkowski, who had been one of the main songwriters up until his parting with the band in late 2013; this lineup change has affected the band's sound and driven it towards a more traditional heavy metal direction with the addition of Andrew Kingsley on guitar.

On May 26, 2015, the band released the "Tonight We Ride" video, inspired by Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The video was filmed in the Nevada desert, using props from the Death Guild Thunderdome camp at Burning Man.

Apex

Since leaving for a tour of Europe in November 2016 Unleash the Archers have mentioned that they will be recording a new album at the end of 2016. Apex is currently slated for a 2 June 2017 release through Napalm Records.

Band members

Discography

Awards

Voted #6 in Exclaim Magazine’s Readers Choice Awards for Best Metal Albums 2009

Voted Best Metal Band at the Whammy Awards in Vancouver for 2015