TURBONEGRO
Retox
(Cooking Vinyl)

ENGINEER
The Dregs
(Black Market Activities)

MARBLE SHEEP
Message From Oarfish
(Funfunvierzig)

OROKU
Living Through The End Time...
(Inimical)

LIGHT PUPIL DILATE
Snake Wine
(Lifeforce)

TOMBS
S/T 

(Black Box/Level Plane)

LIETTERSCHPICH
I Cum Blood in the Think Tank

(Heart & Crossbone)

MORE REVIEWS

Somebody used the word ‘superb’ to describe United in Regret. And I totally concur.  No doubt about it.  It took me a while though. At first it came off as your average run of the mill technical death trash band, yet once you delve deeper, which comes with the second or third spin, you’ll get what this is all about.  Arsis is not necessarily taking trash death metal to a whole new level, but this new found sense of melodics, blackened and slowly smoked vocals, technical proficiency and an advanced level of musicianship that could put any Conservatory valedictorian to shame does nothing but a great service to the metal cause. Whatever that may be these days. 

And this is metal to the max. And as such it reaches some mighty peaks; the speed metal part in the title track reaches technical and rapid fire like exchanges before offering a solo the likes of which we’ve been missing since Alex Skolnick deserted Testament.   Stuff like this was getting made left and right back in the late 80’s and early 90’s period, right before Pantera broke off Texas and everyone started to ape them instead.  But times have changed, and this mix of technicality, with power and a sprinkle of black metal was unthinkable back then.  Plus what was extreme back in the day is not so right now.  Even more interesting, listening to all this racket and bulky noise, can you believe it is made by only two people?

Arsis is a duo indeed; hailing from Virginia Beach and originally comprised of guitarist/vocalist James Malone and double bass drum octopus Michael Van Dyne, the number of its members simply surprises.  Checking their MySpace reveals that the membership seems to have growned and in fact there is no mention of Van Dyne in sight.  Needless to say the addition of a second guitarist a real bassist and the replacement of Van Dyne for one Darren Cesca shall mean no shortage of brutality or technicality. Malone has always been the composer here and with him still at the Arsis’ core all should remain intact. 

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