Last year in November I was introduced to one of my now all time favorite metal bands. Allow me to paint the scene for you: I was attending a concert that Deafheaven was headlining at a local Miami, Florida venue (Churchill's Pub). Admittedly, I was extremely surprised that we were even able to somehow convince these two acts (minus Carcass sadly) to perform at a local shitty venue but alas it happened! I sort of have a love/hate relationship with this venue, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, a band named Inter Arma was to be the opener that night. I had heard of this band numerous times before, and normally would've looked them up and given them a listen. However, something compelled me not to at the time. I had decided to go in fresh and let the performance be my introduction to what this band was all about. To my joyous surprise, I was very much in love with what I witnessed. It looked a little something like this. The lead singer impressed me with his anazing vocal range going back and forth between low pitch growls and high pitched shrieks. The guitar and bass work didn't seem to follow any orthodox song structure and traversed multiple genres of metal and even folk at times. Lastly, the drummer was best compared to Animal from the Muppets: Long hair, long beard, and beating the hell out of his drums. He even got a solo where he played for a good 4 minutes straight, varying his speeds in impressive ways. Can't also forget his rad caveman-like staff that he walked on stage with. Aesthetically and sonically, Inter Arma had impressed the hell out of me, and I had to go home and listen to more! And so, let's talk about these dudes shall we?
Inter Arma
-Genre: Post Metal, Sludge Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal
-Active Since: 2006
-Place of Origin: Richmond, Virginia
-Members: Mike Paparo (vocals) / Steven Russell (Guitar) / Trey Dalton (Guitar) / T.J. Childers (Drums) / Joe Kerkes (bass)
-Current Record Label: Relapse Records
The Richmond based 5 piece has its origins lie in the likeness of many other bands before them. From the depths and destruction of older, shittier bands that did not last. Drummer, T.J. Childers has been playing music since he was 8 years old. His father was in many rock bands and cover bands; thus Childers' strong foundation in music would not only lend to him being one of the main composers of Arma's song writing but would also lend to the band's music having an interesting footing in the realm of genre. With Childers and guitarist Steven Russell as the original members of the band, Guitarist Trey Dalton and bassist Joe Kerkes would shortly join after. Vocalist Mike Paparo was actually the last member to join the band in 2007, 6 months after Arma decided to kick out their original singer. With Paparo as the frontman, Arma was ready to set out with a vision of making monolithic music that can only be described as epic metal-infused voyages through the dark depths of many multiverses. Being from the same place as bands such as Lamb of God and GWAR, Inter Arma couldn't sound any more different than these acts!
Arma's music is very challenging. It seems the band is almost hell bent on playing with the listeners' preconceived notions of genre and categorizing such. Just when you think Arma sounds like a traditional sludge metal band, they'll throw in some doom-influenced riffs. What can sound like black metal, can immediately transition into death metal only to later have almost folk-based passages with clean sung vocals. And this is at the core of what makes Inter Arma so bloody brilliant!
In a world of almost formulaic and dare I say "safe" metal, Inter Arma is a band that simply plays music not caring where their compositions may take the listener. They could care less about belonging to any one particular genre; they just want to play music and be remembered as a "damn good rock band." Another thing I love is the grand sense of atmosphere that the band is able to achieve. Their songs come across as epic, really immersing listeners into a different realm of sorts. Their 2014 record: "The Cavern," which is a record that is only one track that lasts 45 minutes is the poster child for what I'm talking about. Listening to this record, you can feel the depths and darkness of a cavern as the track at no point feels stale and truly feels like a continuous journey in this lonely place. I have yet to experience this sense of depth and immersion listening to any other band. Thus, my praises and accolades for Inter Arma shall never cease!
Fun side note: If you were curious to hear what Inter Arma would sound like as a full on black metal band, three of their members (Paparo, Dalton, and Russell) play in a side band called Bastard Sapling. They're intense and great and I highly recommend a listen if black metal is more your thing!
Conclusion:
There is a group of bands that I personally like to refer to as the new, young, and fresh generation of metal. They are a collection of newer and younger bands that I truly believe are changing up the world of metal for the better. They Include: Pallbearer, Inter Arma, Deafheaven, Windhand, and Gatecreeper. Maybe I'll write about these others at some point. But regardless, I firmly believe these bands are bringing something new and fresh to metal. Inter Arma is a band that kicks classical expectations in the ass and their sound is simply fun and interesting. I can't recommend giving them a try enough! As such you can stream all their music here. And if playlists are more your thing, below is a little playlist I've made to help you get into them! As always thank you for reading and hope you have a wonderful day.
-Nights Off
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