ARSIS have parted ways with drummer Mike Van Dyne. They have issued the following statement:

"While we never wanted him to go, we wish him the best on all his future endeavours."

The band's new new line-up is as follows: Ryan Knight (guitars), Noah Martin (bass), Darren Cesca (drums, vocals) and James Malone (guitars, vocals).

As previously reported, Arsis recently signed with Nuclear Blast. The official press release is below:

Nuclear Blast has issued the following press release:

When it comes to seminal death metal bands from North America, the East Coast alone can boast the likes of the genre's greatest staples such as CANNIBAL CORPSE, IMMOLATION, DEATH, MORBID ANGEL and NILE. With West Virginia's legacy of being the only state formed as a direct result of the American Civil War, it's no wonder that ARSIS have continued this tide of insurgence - albeit in the musical realm. The band, which derived its name from the musical term "arsis and thesis" meaning unstressed (up-) and stressed (down-) beats respectively, makes music that is righteously tinged with black AND thrash metal influences, but is completely dedicated to expanding the reaches of melodicism and technicality in the genre of death metal.

Checking in from their current tour with GOD FORBID, MNEMIC and GOATWHORE, founding member/guitarist/lead vocalist and former Berklee College of Music student James Malone has this to say about the newly-inked worldwide collaboration with Nuclear Blast Records:

"Since the conception of Arsis, I hoped to see the band as a part of the Nuclear Blast roster. Four years later, this is now a reality. I expect great things this coming year; the band is now a four piece, solid tours are on the way, and we have a fantastic label behind us 100%. I am more excited now about the potential of the band than I have ever been."

All of the Arsis recordings (which include two demos, one EP, and two full-length albums) have won the band many rabid fans among the metal underground, the metal press, and metal musicians themselves.

Given their current momentum in support of their latest album, United In Regret, and with, as Malone states, "our most brutal release coming in 2008," Arsis are well on their way to making their discography absolutely essential for any fan with an extreme music library.