Arsis (band)
Encyclopedia
- The plant genus name Arsis is nowadays a junior synonym of GrewiaGrewiaThe large flowering plant genus Grewia is today placed by most authors in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by in the APG. Formerly, it was placed in either the linden family or the Sparrmanniaceae...
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Arsis is an American death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band from Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, formed in 2000. The band is currently signed to Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
.
Demos and Willowtip era
Arsis was started by James Malone and Mike Van Dyne in 2000, who met while attending the Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. They recorded two demos independently in 2001 and 2002, signed to Willowtip Records
Willowtip Records
Willowtip Records is an independently owned and distributed heavy metal record label headquartered in Zelienople, Pennsylvania.-Background:Willowtip Records was founded in 2000 by Jason Tipton with a partner named Willosin, who is no longer involved with the label. The combination of the two names...
in 2003, and released two full-length albums and an EP from 2004 to 2006. During this time, Arsis performed on their first national tours with Misery Index
Misery Index (band)
Misery Index is an American deathgrind band formed in 2001 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, by Jason Netherton on vocals and bass guitar, Mike Harrison on vocals and guitar, and Kevin Talley on drums. From 2006-2010, its line-up consisted of Netherton on vocals and bass guitar, Sparky Voyles...
, Incantation
Incantation (band)
Incantation is an American death metal band that was formed by John McEntee and Paul Ledney in 1989. They are one of the leaders in the New York Death Metal scene along with fellow bands Suffocation and Immolation, even though the band is currently located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.The band has...
, Necrophagist
Necrophagist
Necrophagist is a German death metal band, founded and fronted by Muhammed Suiçmez; a German-born, Turkish guitarist and vocalist. The band is known for its rapid and technical compositions....
, Neuraxis, Alarum
Alarum
Alarum are a 4-piece progressive technical metal jazz-fusion band from Melbourne, Australia. They are stylistically quite similar to early-90's pioneers Atheist and Cynic. They are also known to play Death covers in live shows—another band which influences them greatly...
, Dead to Fall
Dead to Fall
Dead to Fall was originally a melodic death metal band from the Chicago suburbs and later stretched from Chicago to Minneapolis. Formed in 1999, it drew influences from Swedish Gothenburg metal, death metal, and other genres, and is usually labeled as a melodic death metal band...
, Misery Signals
Misery Signals
Misery Signals is an American metalcore band formed in Wisconsin in 2002. The sound of their music is defined by bright melodies backed up by odd time signatures, chugging riffs, and breakdowns.-Formation :...
, The Faceless
The Faceless
The Faceless is an American technical death metal band from Encino, California. They released their debut album, Akeldama in November 2006, and a follow-up, Planetary Duality, in November 2008.-History:...
, All Shall Perish
All Shall Perish
All Shall Perish is an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. Currently, the band is signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their latest record, This Is Where It Ends was released on July 26, 2011...
, Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
, and A Life Once Lost
A Life Once Lost
A Life Once Lost is an American metalcore band formed in 1999 in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After releases on Robotic Empire and Deathwish Inc., A Life Once Lost released their successful album, Hunter on Ferret Music in 2005...
.
The band's main composer, singer/guitarist/songwriter James Malone, wrote and performed all the guitar, vocal, and bass work on the first studio album, A Celebration of Guilt, as well as the follow-up, A Diamond for Disease. Malone also composed and performed a score for the off-Broadway ballet company Ballet Deviare
Ballet Deviare
Ballet Deviare was founded in 2003 and is located in New York City. It is the brainchild of Laura Kowalewski and Andrew Carpenter. It is a truly unique ballet company due to its use of heavy metal music. Classical dance styles are mixed with the music of such bands as Opeth, My Dying Bride, Swallow...
, which was featured on MTV2 Headbanger's Ball. He has a signature model for Washburn Guitars
Washburn Guitars
Washburn Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer. It was established in 1883 in Chicago, Illinois. Washburn is a part of U.S. Music Corporation.- History :...
, and has cited King Diamond
King Diamond (band)
King Diamond is the heavy metal band that King Diamond formed after the split up of his heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, and the departure of Hank Shermann. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories...
, Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Initially active from 1981 to 1985, they reunited in 1992. The band went on hiatus again in 2000, when frontman King Diamond decided to continue his solo career...
, Racer X, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Emperor
Emperor (band)
Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...
, Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, Death, Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...
and Dissection
Dissection (band)
Dissection was a black metal band from Strömstad, Sweden. The band was formed in 1989, by Jon Nödtveidt. The band released its first EP in 1991. They disbanded in 2006, after Nödtveidt's suicide.- Band overview :...
as being influential to him.
Mike Van Dyne performed drums on all of Arsis' releases/tours up until early 2007, when he temporarily departed to work toward his degree in the medical field. During his hiatus from Arsis, Van Dyne performed briefly with the hardcore outfit Crimson Mask. In 2008, they released a 2-song digital single and performed shows in upstate New York with Merauder
Merauder
-History:The group formed in 1990, establishing itself on the eastern U.S. hardcore/metal scene through frequent touring and a few demo releases. In 1995, the band released an EP after vocalist Jorge joined, and toured with Biohazard...
, Madball
Madball
Madball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...
, Wisdom in Chains
Wisdom In Chains
Wisdom In Chains is an American hardcore punk band, which was formed in 2002 with members of American and Dutch hardcore scenes.Maarten, guitarist of Daredevil made a call to Mad Joe Black and Richie Krutch about making some hardcore band with heavy punk and oi! influences...
, Burning Human, and Brick by Brick. Van Dyne has noted his primary drum influences as being Scott Travis
Scott Travis
Scott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
, Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
, Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
, Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
, Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...
, and Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
.
We Are the Nightmare and line-up changes (2007-2008)
The band signed to Nuclear BlastNuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
just before Mike Van Dyne departed. He would not appear on the first record with their new label and was replaced by Darren Cesca. Noah Martin, who performed bass on United in Regret, and Ryan Knight were also added to the line-up to record We Are the Nightmare.
Darren Cesca was let go in 2008. His dismissal was cited as to differences in musical direction among him and the other members of Arsis. He was replaced on tour by Alex Tomlin of Battlemaster and later by Shawn Priest.
Noah Martin quit the band in the fall of 2008. He left the band to finish his college degree.
In late 2008, Nick Cordle and David Kinkade
David Kinkade
-History:David Kinkade was born in New Jersey in 1983. At the age of three, he started picking up drums after his Grandfather gave him his first drum kit....
joined the band for bass and drum duties, respectively.
On December 21, 2008, Ryan Knight announced his departure from Arsis to join The Black Dahlia Murder.
On March 18, 2009, James Malone issued a statement explaining and apologizing for recent tour cancellations and lineup changes, citing personal reasons. Soon after, it was announced that original drummer Mike Van Dyne would return (although due to career commitments, his ability to tour with the band may be limited).
Starve for the Devil (2009-2010)
In July, 2009, it was announced that work was ongoing for their next record, Starve for the DevilStarve for the Devil
Starve for the Devil is an album by technical death metal band Arsis that was released on February 9, 2010, via Nuclear Blast Records.-History:...
. In September, recording sessions began with Nathaniel Carter performing bass and production being handled again by Chris "Zeuss" Harris. The record was released on February 9, 2010, and went on to land at No. 13 on the Billboard Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart for selling 1,800 copies in the U.S. during its first week of release.
In October and November, 2009, Arsis toured Europe with Behemoth
Behemoth (band)
Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground, alongside bands such as Vader, Decapitated, Vesania and Hate....
, DevilDriver
DevilDriver
DevilDriver is an American heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. The band was originally named Deathride, however, due to copyright issues and the name being taken by several bands, Deathride changed its name to DevilDriver, which refers to bells Italian witches used to...
, and Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta in Dalarna County, formed in 2004. The band has released five albums, with six released singles...
on the Neckbreakers Ball Tour.
In January, 2010, Arsis released a music video for "Forced to Rock", the first track off Starve for the Devil.
In January and February, 2010, Arsis toured the U.S. and Canada with Arch Enemy, Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, and Mutiny Within
Mutiny Within
Mutiny Within was a metal band from Edison, New Jersey. The band was formed in 2002 by bassist Andrew Jacobs originally as a Children of Bodom cover band. They disbanded in 2011.-Formation :...
on the Tyrants of Evil North American Tour.
On March 6, 2010, Arsis performed at the Eye Scream Metal Fest II in Mexico City (the band's first ever performance in Latin America) with Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich is a Phoenix, Arizona-based thrash metal band that formed in 1985. Singer/songwriter Phil Rind's interest was in socially conscious and political speed metal. After several records on Metal Blade Records, they signed to Hollywood Records for a short stint, but later returned to Metal...
, Cynic
Cynic (band)
Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...
, Municipal Waste
Municipal Waste (band)
Municipal Waste is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from Richmond, Virginia.They performed at the UK's Download Festival on June 15, 2008, on the tuborg stage....
, and Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their outspoken political views, and for being one of the few death metal bands who follow a political nature. Earlier lyrics showcased the common death metal trait of explicit violence...
. This festival, the Tyrants of Evil Tour, and the Neckbreakers Ball Tour are the only times the full Starve for the Devil recording lineup performed live.
On May 13, 2010, James Malone announced that Noah Martin was rejoining the band. Martin is still enrolled in college and thus may not be able to participate on long tours.
In November, 2010, the lineup of Malone, Cordle, Martin, and Van Dyne toured Europe extensively with Misery Index
Misery Index (band)
Misery Index is an American deathgrind band formed in 2001 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, by Jason Netherton on vocals and bass guitar, Mike Harrison on vocals and guitar, and Kevin Talley on drums. From 2006-2010, its line-up consisted of Netherton on vocals and bass guitar, Sparky Voyles...
, Grave
Grave (band)
Grave is a Swedish death metal band that formed in 1986 by vocalist and guitarist Ola Lindgren, who is their only constant member. The band had particular success in the early 1990s, and their first four albums, Into the Grave, You'll Never See..., Soulless and Hating Life, cemented their...
, The Last Felony, and The Rotted, followed by a U.S. headlining tour in December with Powerglove
Powerglove (band)
Powerglove is an American power metal band. They are known to play metal versions of classic video game themes. The band is named after the Power Glove, a NES controller accessory.-Early years, Total Pwnage and Metal Kombat :...
and Conducting from the Grave. During their headlining dates, Arsis performed the 12+ minute track "A Diamond for Disease" in its entirety for the first time ever.
Members
Current members- James Malone - guitar, vocals (2000–present)
- Nick Cordle - guitar (2008–present)
- Mike Van Dyne - drums (2000–2007, 2009–present)
- Noah Martin - bass (2006–2008, 2010–present)
Former members
- Mike Parks - live vocals (2007)
- Scot Seguine - bass on 2001 demo
- Nathaniel Carter - bass (2009–2010)
- Justin Shaw (The Day of the Beast) - live bass (2004–2006)
- Mike Mullen (Moribund) - live bass (2003)
- Alex Cox - live bass (2006)
- Ryan Knight (The Black Dahlia Murder) - guitar (2006–2008)
- "Fast" Chris Jones - live rhythm guitar (2003–2004)
- Jake Ososkie (Through the Eyes of the DeadThrough the Eyes of the DeadThrough the Eyes of the Dead is an American deathcore band from Florence, South Carolina, formed in 2003. They have released three full-length albums, one EP, and one split album with The Knife Trade.-History:...
) - live rhythm guitar (2004–2005) - Kathy Burke (Sadhara) - rhythm guitar on 2001 demo
- Johnny Allen (Liquid Filth, Eternal Black) - live rhythm guitar (2006)
- Jon Fralick (Rotting Obscene, ex-Darkness Remains) - live rhythm guitar (2006)
- Darren Cesca - drums (2007–2008)
- David KinkadeDavid Kinkade-History:David Kinkade was born in New Jersey in 1983. At the age of three, he started picking up drums after his Grandfather gave him his first drum kit....
(BorknagarBorknagarBorknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements...
) - live drums (2008–2009) - Alex Tomlin (Battlemaster) - live drums (2008)
- Shawn Priest - live drums (2008 & 2010)
- Samus - live drums (70000 Tons of Metal70000 Tons of Metal70000 Tons of Metal is a heavy metal festival that takes place annually aboard the cruise ship the MS Majesty of the Seas. It first took place between January 24 and January 28 of 2011, departing from Miami, docking at Cozumel and returning to Miami. 2038 fans of 49 countries, 42 bands each...
2011)
Discography
Studio albums- A Celebration of GuiltA Celebration of Guilt-Deluxe Limited Gatefold Lp + Bonus 7":...
(2004) - United in RegretUnited in RegretUnited in Regret is the second full length album released by the melodic death metal band Arsis. This album has Noah Martin on bass as opposed to James Malone, and features a guest guitar solo by Emil Werstler of Daath on "The Things You Said." United in Regret received favorable reviews from press...
(2006) - We Are the NightmareWe Are the NightmareWe Are the Nightmare is the third studio album by technical death metal band Arsis. It was released April 15, 2008 via Nuclear Blast Records.-History:...
(2008) - Starve for the DevilStarve for the DevilStarve for the Devil is an album by technical death metal band Arsis that was released on February 9, 2010, via Nuclear Blast Records.-History:...
(2010)
EPs and compilations
- A Diamond for DiseaseA Diamond for DiseaseA Diamond for Disease is an EP by Arsis released on October 25, 2005 via Willowtip Records.The title track, "A Diamond for Disease", took almost four months to write...
(EP, 2005) - As Regret Becomes Guilt: The Demos of Arsis (Compilation of early demo recordings, 2007)