Orlando-based Arms could send your brain into a spiral if you are not careful. The Mathcore/Noise quartet will draw immediate comparisons to fellow great bands like Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, or Botch. The allure to those bands is certainly there. Arms play a dizzying variety of mathematical debauchery that stunts unnecessary senses in an effort to overhaul your temporal lobe's ability to process the cacophonous noise waves ricocheting off of the tympanic membrane. Their newest album, BLACKOUT, was recently presented to me and was released back in January. I give this to you all now because it is madness everyone should experience.
What Arms does well throughout BLACKOUT is balancing these frenetic paces by placing (albeit relatively) restrained songs or sections of songs that allow the listener to get their bearings. The back half of "Ceremonial Monster" is the first example of this, it occurs after the opening track, "Wolfspit", which in itself is an assault on one's wellbeing. This measured mutiny spans 13 songs with personal favorites/recommendations including the title track, "Deerslayer", and "Psalms Muted". The album is broken up well and varied enough to avoid becoming stale "or overbearing. It is a mature and intelligent step for a band to take on an album. It bodes well for the very talented group.
The album was mastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden who has worked with bands like Deafheaven and Loma Prieta. The group's newest effort is certainly something to check out if you're interested the bands previously mentioned. The album can be purchased on Bandcamp for one single, solitary dollar but you are more than welcome to give more. Check out the album below!
