Arsis is an American death metal band, originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia formed in 2000. The band is currently signed by Nuclear Blast.
Arsis was formed in 2000 by James Malone and Mike Van Dyne, to meet them at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. They recorded two independent demos in 2001 and 2002 (more officially released by Negative-Existence Records), signed to the Willowtip Records label in 2003, and performed their first concerts with Kalibas, Beaten Back to Pure, Pyrexia, Daath, Ion Dissonance, Six Feet Under, Full Blown Chaos, The Red Chord, and Dying Fetus. Arsis publishes two albums and an EP between 2004 and 2006. At this time, Arsis plays nationally with Misery Index, Incantation, Necrophagist, Neuraxis, Alarum, Dead to Fall, Misery Signals, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Napalm Death, and A Life Once Lost, as well as the 2006 England Metal and Hardcore Fest and the first edition of California Metalfest.
James Malone writes and plays guitar, bass and vocals on their first album, A Celebration of Guilt , and his suite A Diamond for Disease . Malone also composes a song for the company Ballet Deviare>. Mike Van Dyne plays drums on all Arsis' albums and tours until early 2007, and then records and tours again from 2009 until 2011. Van Dyne will then be drummer for The Final Band. Sleep.>.
The group signed to the Nuclear Blast label just before Van Dyne's departure. He will not participate in the album on their new label, and will be replaced by Darren Cesca. Noah Martin, who plays bass on United in Regret , and Ryan Knight, are recruited for We Are the Nightmare . Cesca left the group in 2008 because of musical differences related to other members of Arsis. He is replaced on tour by Alex Tomlin of Battlemaster, then by Shawn Priest. Martin leaves the band at the end of 2008. At the end of 2008 again, Nick Cordle and David Kinkade join the band in the roles of drummer and guitarist, respectively.
On December 21, 2008, Knight announces his departure from Arsis to join The Black Dahlia Murder.
