Arsis (reappraisal)

It’s high time for a reappraisal of Arsis’ last few albums. Upon first hearing Starve for the Devil earlier this year I was rather harshly critical. After repeat listening, though, I have to admit that several of the tracks have started to grow on me. To be true, Arsis set the bar extremely high with their debut full-length A Celebration of Guilt (2004). The album’s opening track, “The Face of My Innocence,” grabs you with the most malicious riff, a celebration of the guilty pleasures of the flesh. Other favorites include “Maddening Disdain” and “The Sadistic Motives behind Bereavement Letters.” This is a technical/melodic death metal feast of triumphantly blazing shredding, melodically scorching leads and remorselessly hammering drums. And take into account that at this point the band was merely a duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Jim Malone and drummer Mike van Dyne. The band immediately gave the Scandinavian melodic metal scene a run for its money. Of note, too, is that the lyrics deal with scorn and deceit, hurt and hatred, and death wishes that come with broken relations – that is to say, not the usual death metal fare. The album closes on another high note, the head banging “Wholly Night.”

Despite this enthusiastic praise, it’s the title track of their subsequent EP (2005), “A Diamond for Disease,” that remains Arsis’ magnum opus. That song (written as a score for NYC’s Ballet Deviare – no joke) is a flawless fusion of progressive composition, thrashing riffs, technical shredding, melodic leads, interlocking harmonies, intricate tempo shifts, propulsive percussion and pummeling drums, and clocks in at just under thirteen minutes. Think of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Death (ca. Symbolic), Carcass (ca. Heartwork), At the Gates and Arch Enemy blended effortlessly together. To complete the EP, we also get a thrashing rendition of Alice Cooper’s “Roses on White Lace,” as well as “The Promise of Never,” something of a companion piece, not only to the other two songs, but also to the previous album, although it’s actually a remake of an earlier demo track.

Not to be outdone by its predecessor, United in Regret (2006) dives headlong into a breakneck riff. The title track offers savagely punishing riffs and a blistering solo. “Lust Before the Maggot’s Conquest” has everything in speed, complexity and dissonance that I want of Arsis. But the most outstanding song for me is “The Things You Said,” one of Arsis best, with its hurt vocals and its long, searing lines soaring high above the percussive eruptions of volcanic drums. The regret and loss, deceit and pain, hate and vengeance of a broken relationship are the subjects on this album. Their next effort, We Are the Nightmare (2008), opens with a deceptively quiet passage, before busting out in full fury of the whirling title track. The album boasts the usual highly technical lead flurries and rolling drum blasts, fist-pounding brutality, and Gothenburg melodies. All these elements, to me, come together best midway in “Overthrown,” while “Servants of the Night” is a great, kicking and screaming mosher. Lyrical themes on this outing include the frustrations of disenchantment, deception, greed and madness. The last track, “Failure’s Conquest,” features the most progressive composition of the album, gradually increasing the intensity to a fever pitch and then reversing to a quiet ending.

True, I find the opening of Starve for the Devil (2010), “We Are Forced to Rock,” one of Arsis’ weaker moments. But, to be fair, that doesn’t mean it’s terrible. Moreover, the second track, “A March for the Sick,” immediately makes up for it. Here are the lightning-fast shredding and unrelenting drum blasts fans have come to expect. We get some galloping Viking metal on “The Ten of Swords,” which also offers a marvelous solo. The album does contain more than just a few melodic moments, with intricate licks and seething leads (recalling the best of At the Gates and Arch Enemy). Plus, a track such as “Beyond Forlorn” provides occasional respite. There are even some glimpses of Rush and Dio. Although the vocals are buried under the guitar noise, lyrics actually deal with emotional loss, emptiness, anorexia, death and dying – witness the album title or the track “From Soulless to Shattered” (translate: “from heartless to heartbroken”), subtitled “Art in Dying.” For me the highpoint comes midway with the interlocking riffs and soaring melodies of “Closer to Cold.” Nor does the album go out on a whimper, as “Sable Rising” kills with power (die, die)! It will sure bang some heads in the moshpit.

In all, Arsis offer their own unique brand of technical/melodic death metal, combining elements of British heavy metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest), Bay Area thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeth), Florida death metal (Death, Morbid Angel), Scandinavian melodic metal (At the Gates, Arch Enemy), Nordic black metal (Emperor, Dimmu Borgir), and Viking power metal (Ammon Amarth). At first their music may be overwhelming – or even boring – what with the unrelenting guitar riffs and drum blasts. (Readers may notice an absence of references to the bass playing, which is due to the fact that on most albums, it’s practically inaudible.) Some listeners may also object to Malone’s vocal delivery, which shifts between the hoarse shouts of hardcore, the shrill shrieks of black metal, and the growling grunts of death metal. But closer listening reveals intricate compositions, and, of course, Malone’s virtuoso playing reminiscent of Steve Vai, Ygnwie Malmsteen and Andy La Roque. In short, Arsis is by no means for your average Joe or Jane, but if you enjoy your metal extreme and complex, by now you should know this band is for you.