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Arsis > A Diamond for Disease > Reviews
Arsis - A Diamond for Disease

A diamond indeed. - 91%

hells_unicorn, August 5th, 2010

While most bands stake their claim to greatness with a keen eye for subtlety, there is a sizable minority that does so with an outright enmity to the concept. Arsis falls pretty comfortably into the latter category, accomplishing with a blend of unforgettable melodic material and technical showmanship what bands like Gwar accomplish with satirical theatrics and Manowar with uncompromising confidence and fanfare. Incorporating a uniquely American approach to melodic death metal that emphasizes guitar work and vocal aggression rather than spacey atmosphere and ambient keyboard work, they’ve edged out their own little sub-category in what is primarily a European approach to extreme music. Following on the heels of one of the most widely discussed debuts in recent years “A Celebration Of Guilt”, “A Diamond For Disease” incorporates a similar formula and exaggerates it to the point of an odd sort of grandeur that normally isn’t associated with the style of metal that claims Gothenburg as its primary birth place.

In a somewhat ironic way, what Arsis has accomplished in the whopping 13 minute epic of a title song presented here, does the same for this style that Helloween’s “Halloween” did for the then emerging European power metal scene. Incorporating a massive array of differing sections that phase in and out in a complex yet methodical matter, it touches upon nearly every known influence that has feed into metal. In some respects it could be seen as a progressive song, incorporating a fair amount of jazz and classical influences and shifting freely through a number of different metric and rhythmic patterns. But in the same fashion as any deserving recipient of the label “classic”, this song always finds its way back to a familiar chorus, just as the traveler returns home from a prolonged journey to hang his hat. Granted, a trip consisting of this number of notes, strung together through death/thrash sounding riffs with the tonality of a progressive power metal band and a continual succession of shred sections, not to mention all of the wild drum activity and a vocal delivery harsh and morose enough to shatter stone, would imply a pretty impressive home/destination. But in spite of this being a style where the vocals are devoid of tonality, the mixture of a basic rhythmic pattern and fairly intelligible guttural vocalizations and the implied melody in the wandering guitars combine together and breathe life into what seems to be a rather depressing exchange of values lyrically.

Anything follow such as massive compositional effort will be doomed to pale in comparison, but to Arsis’ credit, they’ve managed to put together two shorter b-sides to this impressive single under the guise of being an EP. Both the reinterpretation of Alice Cooper’s “Roses On White Lace” and their reworked demo song in “The Promise Of Never” contrast from the opening song primarily in their scaled back and slightly more moderated approach to the same formula. The name of the game they play is catchiness, and they play it quite well as the humbler blend of technical lead playing and groovier riffing contribute to an overall sound that is instantly memorable. The lyrical content gets a little bit over the top, but given that James Malone is shouting in a manner befitting the most pissed off orc in all of Mordor, there’s no shame in warning his scorned lover to watch out for the fucking thorns on the roses he’s presented to her.

It’s fairly uncommon to hear a song from a band tied into tech. death metal that is wildly ambitious yet doesn’t come off as pompous, and this release has 3 very different versions of accomplishing that. While pretty different sounding from most of the early melodic death bands who shaped the later Gothenburg scene, such as At The Gates and Carcass, this is probably more geared towards fans of those bands’ work than what comes out of the likes of Dark Tranquillity or Children Of Bodom. There’s a good amount of technical bands out there who pretty well match the complexity level of this, just as there are a number of bands that can write memorable songs within a death metal context, but this is one of a very few select studio offerings where one can get both in the same place.

Shows Potential - 86%

Robropnkr1, March 21st, 2007

Arsis is an amazing band with amazing chemistry. Their debut album proved that to all of us. From the highly organized riffs to the endless attack of aggressive drumming, we see that Arsis is a band well worth keeping up with.

I'm still not so sure about what to think of A Diamond for Disease. Sure, it's done very well and the quality is far from lacking, but something about this E.P. just doesn't rest well with me for some reason. Their sound has definitely changed, and that's always a hard thing for true fans to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed these three amazing tracks, but something about it is different. It doesn't feel like the Arsis I’ve known and loved for so long.

Malone will never fail to surprise me with his ability to write riffs that flow so smoothly with each other. At the same time beautiful and aggressive, the guitar work and musicianship is at the very least impressive and well done. Arsis’ chemistry between guitarist and drummer is always flawless and nice to listen to, while the soaring guitar solos and underlying rhythms make for an amazing musical composition.

I will give them credit for making a nice E.P. that leads up to a beautiful, although highly different, new album. The lyrical concepts are amazing and written like a true poet. This is one element of Arsis that I hope will never change. The Vocals are amazing as well. Malone is an all-around metal genius when it comes to musical and vocal talent, and A Diamond for Disease definitely lets it show.

Despite all my qualms with these three tracks, I must say that I enjoyed listening to it and it carries through to United in Regret as well as could possibly be done. I'll let old Arsis be old Arsis and accept the fact that their sound has changed. I recommend this E.P. to all of those that enjoyed A Celebration of Guilt, and all of those that were confused by United in Regret. This E.P. is definitely the carry-through that was necessary.

frenetic, not romantic - 92%

odradek, February 14th, 2007

While all three songs on this EP make liberal mention of diamonds and roses, the material is not exactly Valentine's Day schmaltz. The caustic vocals, ferocious drumming, and turbulent guitar are more likely to evoke feelings of acute stress than romance.

Arsis stays true to the style introduced in "A Celebration of Guilt", where songs utilize intensely staccato riffing to serve as a rhythmic lynchpin, freeing the drums for an endless stream of fills and excursions. The vocal delivery is also accurately timed, syncopating with the rhythm section to impart urgency to the verse, only to settle back to the beat and give the chorus a welcome sense of remedy. And layered upon all the aforementioned rhythmic interplay is a literal spray of notes from the lead guitar. If you can imagine combining the melodic intricacy of Necrophagist with the rich sonic textures of Neuraxis you would get Arsis, and yet in totality it comes out somehow greater than the mere sum of its constituent elements.

The title track is the band's foray into long form, where a catchy chorus keeps reappearing with slight alterations, interwoven with several melodic themes that cycle through the track. Despite its length the song never stagnates, although I still would have preferred it to be shorter. The second and third tracks, an Alice Cooper cover and a reworked demo track, respectively, are strong but not exceptional works.

This EP is a fine piece of art from a truly outstanding band. But I still consider "A Celebration of Guilt" to be better, and for anyone new to the band, their first full-length would be a better starting point to experience Arsis at their best. Once that album has been digested, then this EP might be considered as a continuation of that work. Their
follow-up full length, "United in Regret", has unfortunately not lived up to my expectations.

A Diseased Epic - 95%

todesengel_hell, February 11th, 2007

Technical Melodic Death Metal is a rare genre because few bands can actually pull off both technical and melodic death metal styles at the same time. With the A Diamond for Disease EP, Arsis not only pulls off the style, but rapes it with its unholy seed. Everything that is good about death metal is found on this record. The death growls, machinegun-like double bass, amazing (and frequent) guitar solos, melodic rhythm guitars, everything adds together to create a distinct sound unlike any other.


The title track is an epic that showcases the band's pure musicianship. Clocking in at just under 13 minutes, the sound never gets stale and keeps ripping until the very end. The next track, Roses on White Lace, takes an Alice Cooper classic and adds it to the list of unwholesome death metal covers that would make their original writers shit their pants. The final track, The Promise of Never, with its obvious thrash influence, ends the record on a heart-pumping note making the listener eager for more.

Damn... - 90%

Dark_Mewtwo1, October 28th, 2005

I didn't know what to expect out of A Diamond For Disease. I had heard rumors that it had a long-as-fuck song in it, and I doubted their ability to create an epic song that is every bit interesting and challenging, yet not being predictable and boring (I'm looking at you Dream Theater). Shit, was I WRONG. I was floored.

The first track is the title track, a 13 minute epic that just soars in and out of various different stylistic...uh..."environments" with a huge wall of chaotic melodic riffing in the almost-now trademark Arsis sound from Celebration. You can truly distinguish every single influence Arsis has in this one song, from the Gothenburg scene to some more melodic/post-black acts. The vocals are excellent, James Malone is once again top-notch, delivering vocals that although they remind you of the boring Gothenburg scene, they have a blackened flavor to them and are a welcome addition to a very stale genre. The drumming in this track is superb, double-bass going everywhere with fills and rolls and blasts keeping the near-perfect guitar progressions together. This track definitely does not sound like it was glue-and-taped together for money, this track is this band's crowning achievement right now, and Arsis is going to do some amazing things in the future if this level of musicianship and intensity continues.

The other two tracks, Roses on White Lace and The Promise of Never, are very good tracks, in fact, they would probably would have been a great addition to an already solid A Celebration of Guilt album. But in this EP, these two songs pale (almost pale horribly) compared to that monster of a song. They are good as stand-alone songs, but they can't compare at all to A Diamond For Disease. I enjoyed the Alice Cooper cover, it's one of the better covers of a non-metal song I've heard, and The Promise of Never is a pretty straight-forward song that has it's moments. If you see this, pick it up, it is great.

I gave you roses, be careful of the fucking thorns - 92%

Rockburn, October 26th, 2005

From influences ranging from Racer X to Alice Cooper, it makes a metalhead wonder how Arsis managed to pound out 20 minutes of heavy and balanced death metal in their newest release, 'A Diamond For Disease.' As a fan of Arsis, I assure newcomers and fans alike that if you liked 'A Celebration of Guilt,' you'll LOVE this.

It all begins with the synth fade in accompanied by strings and some melodic guitar strumming... which is brutally interrupted by James Malone's incredible riffing. All the riffs in the title track are flawless. The leads and solos are full of shred and precision.. nothing any self-respecting metal fan can complain about. The vocals have improved as well, they went from mediocre to malevolent in due time. The lyrics (of what can be made out) are really something. Malone obviously has an affinity for Death, Disease, and Diamonds. I like what I hear. The second track on the album is an Alice Cooper cover, which is excellently transposed Arsis-style. It's catchy and has turned my ear to Alice Cooper's music. The last track, "The Promise of Never" is Arsis at their best. Fast and deviant, it manages to capture what Arsis is all about, musically. Very reminiscent of their previous release, but it's still intriguing. Michael VanDyne pushes the limits of drumming endurance with his fills and beats. It would have been nice to see more blastbeats and hyperblasts, but you really can't complain since everything meshes seamlessly.

If you heard the sample clip for this album, it's bullshit compared to what's in-store for you if you buy 'A Diamond for Disease.' Plus the album art is sick nasty (credit: MARK RIDDICK). Go buy it now.

Magnificient indeed! - 86%

KayTeeBee, October 26th, 2005

If I hadn't known Arsis before hearing this EP (but I did, fortunately), I would've probably ran to the record store (or most likely order it online FAST) to buy their greatly appreciated album, 'A Celebration of Guilt'. Everyone who's heard this band previously knows they mix melodic death with a bunch of other influences including Black and Thrash just to name a few. These guys know what the problem is with american 'melodic death' (or should I say metalcore, to be more accurate) - they all sound like a cheap rip off of In Flames, ATG and the likes. So their mission is to never bore the fuck out of you by incorporating a bunch of new memorable ideas and keeping you awake (I still spin 'A Celebration of Guilt' occasionally). No acoustic interlude or useless bullshit like that (which wouldn't really fit) are put in the music to make the thing longer. What we have here is 19 minutes of pure melodic death mixed with a lot of other genres. They covered Alice Cooper's 'Roses on White Lace', which sounds incredibly harsh and unforgetting. Lightning-speed guitar leads come out of virtually nowhere, while keeping a good heavy beat in the background. 'Fortune's Envy' is an old demo track they recorded, and the melodic death sound on this one is more prominent (yes, there's actually death metal in it, even though I can hear a few ATG/In Flames influences here and there). 'A Diamond for Disease' is an unstoppable 12 minute track. I thought it would be Disillusion-type stuff (with breaks, interludes, etc) but it's pretty much straightforward riffage with tons and tons of heart-pounding and hammer-smashing riffs from start to end, while keeping a melodic death sound without forgetting their Black, Thrash and Prog influences. Get this EP. Especially if you heard the album. If you haven't heard the album though, you should still get it. Simple enough, I know.

A goddamn marvel! - 89%

OlympicSharpshooter, October 25th, 2005

Colour me surprised by the considerable charms of this record and this band. Actually, its more like floored. A Diamond for Disease is the sound of a band kicking open the industrial-strength vault door guarding metal's creative loot and gleefully pilfering at will, the young punks grabbing with both hands and filling their stomachs, their goody bags, the luggage they brought just in case, and finally their pockets until their slacks begin to threaten to fall down around their ankles unless they hold them up. One of the most glorious features of art is the ability of new artists to build upon the foundations of their forefathers, and to mind Arsis represents one of the most exciting new brands on the market.

The glorious thirteen minute title track is a great example of this, zigzagging artfully through dizzying arrays of motifs and moods, mischievously welding more and more pieces of other subgenres until the listener quails at trying to identify the original skull beneath the patchwork skin. There's melodic death metal to some extent, but its a particularly nasty and abrasive strain of the 'Gothenburg virus' which sounds married to the melodic black metal of Dissection or Naglfar, not quite the tremolo-scarred ear rape of those acts but far from the usual warm tones of classic In Flames or Arch Enemy. When one considers the total package of the sound, with its witchy cawing vocals and heavy yet sorrowful riffage it might be suggested that Arsis is striking closer to the heart (work) of the melodeath sound, some definite hints of more artful Carcass showing up.

Of course, the medicine ball of death at the core of the thing is wrapped up in layer after layer of insane double-bassed drums which are constantly battering away at the edges of your consciousness and then darting in to fill the miniscule gaps left by the rampaging guitars. Man, oh man, those guitars! They run the gamut from rock solid thrashing to massive skyscraping chorus riffs to bouncing mutated power metal, and that doesn't even take into account the leads which convey a myriad of emotions. Its astounding to hear the band lock into a high pitched black metal-ish section, top it off with Schuldiner-like piercing licks accenting the action, and then seamlessly jump into sobbing shred that would make Michael Amott proud.

Yes, this thing is seamless. The transitions are never jarring, and the song has two or three refrains that show up throughout the track, flowing in the classic "Halloween" and "Dante's Inferno" tradition. Many epics sound patchwork, but this is an example of how 10-15 minute epics are able to remain, you know, songs rather than multipart suites without growing dull.

Basically, the only band that I can think of to compare this to is Children of Bodom, but that's a comparison based on rather sketchy aesthetic similarities. CoB are (or were prior to Are You Dead Yet? I should say) a fairly basic cross-stitching of power metal and commercial black metal. While Arsis likely doesn't have a guitarist with the ability of Alex Laiho, they make up for it by being a much more interesting stew of sounds. Bodom are not particularly innovative when you come down to it, but Arsis are one of those bands that have a sound that is vaguely reminiscent of older genres but is just so complex and arcane that we'll probably have to coin a new genre name to effectively label them.

Another interesting point to bring up about the title track is for all the vague familiarity that the listener uses to gain a foothold in this massive new thing (without it many would likely simply be swept away in the sloshing storm surge), almost none of the expected influences show up. There's no hint of Maiden or Megadeth, no Slayer or Metallica, no Helloween or Pantera. This might mean nothing or everything; maybe we're finally approaching a new epoch where the new bands are influenced by the bands of the 90's and the unending rush to loot Maiden's corpse can finally cease its urgency. While my heart will always be with the classics, I want to see how bands of the future can work with the templates of the not-so-distant past. Perhaps the best qualities of flawed bands like Soilwork and Nevermore can finally be exposed as the gems they are. Or maybe I'm rambling.

Okay, I know I'm rambling.

Anyhoo, the other two tracks are not nearly so impressive from an innovation standpoint, but this is quite forgiveable as one is a re-touched demo and the other an Alice Cooper cover. "Roses on White Lace" bears little resemblance to the original track, a definite example of the current trend of taking a 'non-metal' song (questionable in Alice's case), playing the riff at hyperspeed and then bashing away at it in an attempt to 'metalize' it. While I'm not sure the creepy original needs metalizing, the song does indeed rock satisfactorily and is far superior to the average, say, Bodom or Filth cover. Not that that's all hard-like or anything.

The ex-demo is another very sturdy speed melo-black-death track, displaying some of the band’s characteristic sound but in no way hinting at the progressive majesty of “A Diamond for Disease”. But I ain’t greedy, the title track is such an unexpected blessing for me that I can just accept “The Promise of Never” as what it is: a blistering, excellent piece of modern extreme metal.

This EP is, in my opinion, a must-have for the awe-inspiring title track alone. If Arsis are to become the kingpins of a new wave of metal, take this chance to get in on the game early. If they aren’t… the fuck do you care? Its great metal and all but the most hardline anti-modernist metalheads should love it.

Shiny. Blindingly shiny.

I will buy this when it is released - 89%

danyates, October 24th, 2005

Alright, this is a 3 song EP which is yet to be released. It was leaked online, obviously, which is how I am reviewing it so early.

If you've heard Arsis before, you know that their songs usually aren't too long, such as the title track of this EP. When I heard that the EP would have a 13 minute song, I thought "Ugh... a wasted EP from Arsis." Well, once I heard this had leaked, I got it right away. I listened, and it isn't all that bad. It's actually pretty good, and it doesn't seem 13 minutes at all. It's got the same "style" as A Celebration of Guilt. It has a variety of riffs, which is very good. It's got some solos, which are also excellent. What else can you expect from Arsis?

And for the rest of the songs... the Alice Cooper cover, Roses on White Lace, is amazing. This is probably the best song on the album. Honestly, I don't recall ever hearing the original version of this song, so I can't really compare them. But I have heard Alice Cooper before, and I know this is surely not his style. Cooper fans will be surprised with this one. It's amazing.

Then here comes the short track... "The Promise of Never." This is a demo re-recording, I believe, so it's got a A Celebration of Guilt vibe to it. I'm pretty sure I heard "celebrate the guilt" in the lyrics somewhere. This one is only 2:51, so there is not much to say about this. Not bad.

I would recommend this to previous Arsis fans. If you have not yet heard Arsis, go get the A Celebration of Guilt album. It's one of my favorite albums ever.

No Signs of Relenting - 98%

ShadowsFallen, October 22nd, 2005

Arsis's last and only album so far, "A Celebration of Guilt", showed that melodic death metal wasn't just a European thing. This two-man Virginia band managed to craft fast, technical riffs with a brutal sound and unbelievable melodies. The drums were monstrous, the guitars were mind-blowing, and the vocals were exactly what a melodic death vocalist should sound like. And now, with their new EP "A Diamond for Disease" finally unveiled, this band has taken it to the next level.

What path would you have liked Arsis to take from their last album? Faster? Heavier? More melodic? More technical? Fear not, for your hopes are not shattered. This EP is all of the above. Featuring two new songs and an Alice Cooper cover, this release has wide spectrum of sounds that can appeal to all. The epic title track has every element known to a metal band masterfully crafted into a 13 minute showing of pure metal. From the instant the atmospheric guitar playing with a cello background, the riffs are downright death metal, the drums are as cunt smashing as ever, and the vocals were layered to perfection. The melodic sections are inspired and very reminiscent of old At the Gates. Clean guitar harmonies added behind the brutality give it a very surreal feel. Keep in mind that no musicianship has been spared; these guys formed at a college of music and it shows.

The Promise of Never (same song as Fortune's Envy, just a different title) is probably the fastest song they've ever written. It whips by at 250 mph and is packed full of catchiness. Weeks after hearing the song I still can't get the chorus out of my head. If I hadn't been told that Roses on White Lace was originally a 1987 Alice Cooper song, I would never have guessed. They took the song and transposed it into their style while still retaining a nice rock n' roll feel. The only downfall of this release is the length - with merely three songs, two of which are very short, my appetite for more has been effectively whetted. All I can do is sit back, enjoy my now 14 Arsis songs, and wait for the next album. Until then, there's no doubt in my mind that Arsis is America's biggest metal asset right now, and only more good things can be expected from them in the future.