Due to bassist Nikko Whitworth's departure before the recording sessions, the band recorded the album as a nominal quartet. Studio musician Benjamin Arscott played bassin Whitworth's place.
Background, production and writing
The band planned to release Apex and Abyss as a double album, but time constraints led to releasing Apex alone in 2017.[2] During the first half of 2019, they searched for new influences. On the other half, they wrote the rest of the songs that would form Abyss. The album was recorded in January 2020 in Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark.[2] In an interview, vocalist Brittney Slayes expressed relief they were able to record before the COVID-19 lockdowns.[2]
The album title, cover and track-list were announced on 18 June 2020, together with the first single "Abyss".[4]
Plot
The album continues the story started on Apex. Slayes described the plot as follows:[4]
Our protagonist, The Immortal, is once again awakened at the beginning of our story, but this time he is in an unknown place: a ship out in deep space. He wanders alone for a time, reflecting on his misdeeds, searching for his new master. Finally, he finds him, and learns that it is the Grandson of The Matriarch, our antagonist. The Immortal had taken The Grandson’s father away some sixty years before, to be sacrificed by The Matriarch in a ritual to achieve immortality (the events from Apex) and now the Grandson seeks revenge against The Matriarch with the aid of her own weapon, The Immortal.
In the end, the characters use anger to raise their soul instead of spreading mayhem.[7] According to Slayes, Abyss deals with good versus evil and light versus dark, showcasing the conflict between the protagonist's good and bad sides and his will to define whether he's just a tool or a free being.[4]
Composition and song information
For the first time, the band recorded an album using only seven-string guitars.[6]Abyss also sees them exploring more of the synthesizer.[7][2] According to Slayes, this was done to "give a different quality than Apex. We wanted it to be a more ethereal sounding record."[2]
"Through Stars" was composed as a synthwave song "hidden behind metal" and "Carry the Flame" was described by Slayes as "a weird spin on a power ballad". Both songs are influenced by 1980s music. "Legacy" has no chorus and "Faster Than Light" is played in a faster, Stratovarius-like pace and describes the moment when the Immortal stops running from his past mistakes and faces what he's done.[2]
The ending track, "Afterlife", features orchestrations by Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse). Guitarist Andrew Kingsley had originally written these parts, but the band felt they sounded like a computer and producer Jacob Hansen, who had mixed and mastered Fleshgod Apocalypse's 2019 album Veleno, contacted Ferrini, who worked on Kingsley's material.[2]
Release and promotion
The album has been released in digital and physical formats, including a double disc gatefold in different colors. There's also a limited edition in "deluxe earbook" format containing two bonus tracks (a synthwave version of "Abyss" and a folk pop version of "Soulbound") and a bonus disc with instrumental versions of the regular songs.[6]
The day after the album's release, the band performed live at The Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver and streamed the show.[5][6][2] The band plans to release a two-book graphic novel about the story of Apex and Abyss.[2][7]
The Progspace's Bob said "Power Metal can come over as a bit corny sometimes, and it is not that high up on my list of favourite genres. But this album by Unleash the Archers is something else" and called Abyss "stunning".[1] Writing for Metal Hammer, Holly Wright said the album makes the listener conclude the band has grown up and described "Legacy" as "a spiralling mix of Deafheaven, DragonForce and Devin Townsend" and the band's "career's centrepiece".[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Unleash the Archers unless noted.
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