ARSIS - Unwelcome
May 8, 2013, 11 years ago
(Nuclear Blast)
Unwelcome is the fifth full-length release from Virginia’s technical melodeath band, ARSIS. It’s clear the band was brought up on a healthy dose of ARCH ENEMY and CARCASS. With the latter, the Brits’ influence really permeates on ‘Scornstar,’ ‘Choking On Sand’ and the title track. It almost sounds like the band sat around at home while they were younger and repeatedly cranked up Heartwork. With the former, the dual harmonized guitar solos are reminiscent of the Amott brothers. James Malone’s harsh barks and the band’s melodic guitar leads and furious riffs is the foundation of Arsis’s sound. However, the vocals are low in the mix and not as easily decipherable as they should be, especially when dealing with Malone’s coarse vocals. Arsis has been slugging it out for 13 years and are still trying to carve out a name for itself within the extreme metal world. Unwelcome might not make them a household name, but it’s decent enough to pick up a new legion of fans of melodic death metal.
