Metal Injection has posted fan video footage (click image to upper right) of ARSIS' August 16, 2008 performance at The Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland (where the Virginia-based technical death metal outfit was performing as part of the Thrash And Burn tour).
To view some recent live photos of the band, please click here. Some recent tour press articles and photos can be viewed here.
ARSIS' latest album, We Are the Nightmare, was released on April 15 (North America) through Nuclear Blast Records. The package contains a bonus 45-minute DVD that includes the band's time in the studio, off-stage antics, and some general goofing around.
The album was produced by Zeuss (AGNOSTIC FRONT, HATEBREED, MUNICIPAL WASTE) at Planet Z Studios in Massachusetts and was mastered by Alan Douches (KATAKLYSM, UNEARTH, SHADOWS FALL).
THRASH AND BURN TOUR BEGINS w/ NEW DRUMMER!
Category: Music
ARSIS - THRASH AND BURN TOUR BEGINS TONIGHT w/ NEW DRUMMER!
Determined to complete a tour with no car accidents, illnesses, or other distressing turmoil and ready to brave the road once again for the upcoming Thrash And Burn Tour, ARSIS bassist Noah Martin checks in to bring us up-to-date on tour preparations and the band's newest addition:
"We're really pumped about this tour. I don't think there's anything that will prevent us from finishing it. [Lead singer/guitarist] Jim Malone's over his pneumonia. He's been working out and running, and he feels better than ever. We even have new management that's helping us move forward. They're AMAZING. Hopefully our tour laminates will come with a lucky rabbit's foot! [laughter]
Right now we're going over to [Anthrax singer] Dan Nelson's place to rehearse for about three days before the Thrash And Burn tour starts. Our new drummer is Shawn Priest from Idaho. All the best drummers are coming outta nowhere from the Midwest! We screened him through his video on YouTube, and when we hooked up, he learned 'We Are The Nightmare' in a day and a half. We're REALLY excited about this. We're gonna have new drum parts in our songs off the new album. It's gonna be WAY thrashier, more in-your-face.
'Servants To The Night' has been added to the set list because of Shawn. We'd like to keep him on as full-time, so we'll see how he does on this tour. His flight to New York got delayed and he had to sleep in the airport, but he took it like a champ, so he'll fit right in, putting up with a bunch of bullshit right from the start! [laughter] We'll see if we can get him to drink boxed wine."
Tickets for the Thrash And Burn tour dates listed below can be purchased here. Fans can also purchase tickets to the concert at the venue on the night of the show.
LAMB OF GOD DRUMMER COMMENTS ON ARSIS + MORE!
Category: Music
"Combining technical ability with true songwriting is a balancing act that modern metal bands rarely accomplish. Arsis proves the exception. Progressive structures combined with hauntingly memorable passages reminiscent of later Death albums keep the evolution alive. We are the Nightmare shines brightly in a scene full of failed attempts."
- Chris Adler (Lamb Of God)
Plus, check out the Revolver Magazine feature coming up this August '08!
"We are most excited to announce that Alex Tomlin, a long time friend of ours and an outstanding drummer, will be replacing Darren. His first shows with us will be on the 'In Thrash We Trust' tour starting this Wednesday. Come out and support ARSIS and the new addition to our line-up!"
Lead guitarist/vocalist James Malone offers this band update:
"Although we had a great run over the past year and a half with drummer Darren Cesca [whose work is featured on the band's latest album, We Are The Nightmare], we have decided to stop working with him in ARSIS. The reasoning behind this decision is simply differences in personalities and an overall difference in direction. Darren is an amazing musician and we harbor no ill feelings towards him. We wish him all the best. We are most excited to announce that Alex Tomlin, a long time friend of ours and an outstanding drummer, will be replacing Darren. His first shows with us will be on the 'In Thrash We Trust' tour starting this Wednesday. Come out and support ARSIS and the new addition to our line-up!"
NOAH MARTIN COMMENTS ON UPCOMING TOURS!
Category: Music
Writing in from Colombia, Ohio while on tour with The Black Dahlia Murder and A Life Once Lost, a wide-awake Noah Martin, bassist for Virginia's melodic and meticulous death metal band ARSIS, checks in:
"Everything's going incredibly well for us. With our album, We Are the Nightmare, finally out, we've been out touring and have survived our fair share of oil changes and missed freeway exits.
We just played the New England Hardcore/Metal Fest and did assorted signing sessions for MySpace Metal, Metal Maniacs magazine, and Randall amplifiers. It was TOTAL madness. WE LOVE OUR FANS!
Once we finish this tour with Black Dahlia, we're heading out on a stint with the 'In Thrash We Trust' tour with Death Angel, God Forbid, and Light This City. We're pretty sure that'll be fucking nuts. Much partying and thrash will surely ensue and we'll probably break our necks headbanging.
To anyone that's reading this, feel free to bring us boxed wine to dull the pain! See you guys on the road!!!"
To view some of the highlights of the band's bonus DVD (and listen to their unreleased acapella song), click here.
Mysteriously plagued by bad luck while on the road (a video of their Bubinga wood trailer tragedy can be viewed here), all ARSIS members welcome the donation of any lucky amulets – heirloom or stolen – to keep evil spirits at bay.
ANIMATED VERSION OF ’WE ARE THE NIGHTMARE’ VIDEO
Category: Music
Virginia-based technical death metal outfit ARSIS have debuted the ANIMATED video version of the title track "We Are the Nightmare" exclusively on MySpace
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Director David Brodsky had this to say about working with the band and the story behind the video: Working with James from Arsis is a little like working with a guy that looks just like me… well, it's a LOT like that, actually. Funny thing is, the first time I'd ever heard of Arsis was at a B.B. King's show in NYC when a bunch of guys started looking at me and pointing. Usually, what's about to happen is that someone's going to call me Danzig… hahaha… not this time (for the record, I've never met Danzig, but I'm told I'm taller). They walked up to me and said: Hey man, you were great in Ronkonkoma. I thought : Did I do a video in Ronkonkoma? Have I ever BEEN to Ronkonkoma? What ultimately happened was that they kept insisting that I was James Malone and I kept insisting that I wasn't until we all agreed to disagree. They probably thought "James" was a dick. He's not. He would have said "thanks."
The next time this happened, I was actually AT an ARSIS show. They were playing with Goatwhore and God Forbid, again at B.B. King's, and kids would walk up to me and tell me that I was awesome. Hahahah… Now I like to hear that, but in this case I didn't do anything. Allie (Woest, my partner and producer and all around amazing woman) and I had been late to the show so we didn't see them play, but seriously, if people at an ARSIS show confused me with James, this was either a case of some very blind people or a guy I had to meet.
I'd worked with Noah, the bassist, with his previous band, so he walked me right up to James and made the introductions. Noah is amazingly funny… you should talk to him if you ever get the chance.
James was sitting at a booth getting his drunk on. I sat right down and said something like "James, I'm Dave Brodsky and everyone thinks we look alike".
He said "cool, cool".
Turns out, he says that a lot. It's kind of a trademark of his.
We came up with a goof-idea to switch positions for a video… let him play the director/shooter and me to play the singer/guitarplayer. Ultimately, we didn't do it – this time – because he had something more interesting in mind. An abandoned church in the deep recesses of West Virginia. Apparently he knew about this place and there was no way that Allie, Jason (Bozzi, guitar player extraordinaire, friend, and a guy that loves working with us on shoots) and I were going to miss the chance to shoot in it… so off we went to Beckley, WV for a couple of days.
Yeah, we had no power, no real lights, not much of a bathroom (a rotting outhouse from 100 years ago is less appealing somehow than a tree around the bend) and literally no way to get the gear to the church but to carry it up a hill, up the rotting stairs, across the rotting floor and to hope, all the while that we'd live to tell the tale. We did.
Ultimately, the effort was worth it. It was tough finding footing while shooting handheld and even harder to find a place sturdy enough to hold the jib we brought along and with enough room for me to move around for the "sweeping" shots. But fuck it, it was DIY and it was a damn fine time.
Working with ARSIS was awesome. I'd already gotten to know both James and Noah by the time we got to West Virginia, so it really amounted to working with my friends. Ryan and Darren were welcoming as well, so by the time we got to shooting, we were all pals. I like that. It's part of the fun of doing this stuff. Getting to know musicians who are talented beyond belief and getting to do even this tiny thing with them on the path of their career. Love it.
While we were standing in the church – sometime after James was chased by dogs and before he fell through the floor – I said, "hey man, I've got an idea for an animation". He said "Cool. Cool". Kidding… but he was onboard with the theory of letting me run with the inspiration.
It's simple enough of an idea really and it was definitely inspired by the location… what I was aiming for was a different execution, at least for me. I love toying with animation and in this case, for some reason, I was thinking more along the 'cartoon' lines than the CGI/GreenScreen things I'd done a few times. The full story came to me in the shower – maybe that's why it's raining in the video – and took me a little too long to get done… hahaha… that's why there are two versions.
I'm glad you'll all get to see the ANIMATION version and I think the more people hear ARSIS the more people will be instantly hooked… hope you dig the video!
