Arius : Reviews (Demo, Live Performances, and more)

Demo:

Demo Review from Necrosis Magazine, March 1996

*** Arius : Demo Review ***

Arius: The Last Suffer, 1995

Rating: I was going to make my friends blast it, but the cat took it and hid it, so I couldn't let them hear the coolness. Dang. (Even the cats like it! Well, she is a black cat...)

Four extremely powerful songs. Each standing alone. Professionally recorded. Cohesive band with decent subject metarial for lyrical inspiration. Very convincing live act. Need I say more? This demo would be a great addition to a metal collection, for it has a different sound to it. This is not to say that the demo is lame, or cheesy, or washed-out...it's actually extremely aggressive, evil, and well-thought out.

Although it came out in 1995, the demo still has a current feel to it. (It's not that slow thing, don't worry...I mean current DM!!) Quite speedy in places, the thing which I can say stood out the most as a pleasurable listening experience was the leads. The guitarist can play! A revelation! (Maybe I have just heard way too many mediocre solos?) Well, check him out!!

If I remember correctly, the demo is $5 US and can be obtained from the band. Or, e-mail Melanie and she'll try to get her paws on one...

***

Arius
"The Last Suffer"
Independent Release

This is my former band!!! Sorry, but I must be a bit biased towards this release! Afterall, I played guitar on it My final legacy. Anyway, there are four cuts on this one. (I wrote two of them!) There a lot of cool blast beats as well as slow grinding parts. There is off time riffing and tempo changes when you least expect them. The demo was recorded and produced at RT Audio in Detroit. (The same studio and producer used by Gutted and Descendent). I will not lie and say that Arius is the most unique band you've ever heard. It is straight forward brutal fucking death metal. We tried to add to that by throwing in some keyboards here and there and a bit of guitar harmonies. At some points it may remind you of Amorphis. The vocals are just pure evil! The lyrics are based around religion, gore, and philosophy. The song "Kein Gott" is written and performed entirely in German and means "No God". Other song titles are "Eviscerated", "Pronounced Dead", and (my favorite) "The Last Suffer". I'll have to give this one 3 1/2 Coffins . For even MORE info, go to the Cold Coffin Promotions page and follow the link to the ARIUS homepage.

***

Live Performances:

Arius/Carrion/Cephlic/Lucifixion at K.O.'s Tavern 2/21/97

    The local scene is also attempting to make a comeback in the Toledo area. Four of the area's heaviest hitters shook the foundation of K.O.'s Tavern once again. K.O.'s isn't the biggest, best place in town to play, but it's the ONLY place in town to play if you're a death metal band not on a major tour. I respect the place for letting death metal bands play on a Friday or Saturday night. A first for the Toledo area. Most asshole club owners will put you on a Thursday or Sunday and then bitch because you didn't draw a crowd! No shit you fucking asshole!!!!! Anyway, K.O.'s has the balls to pull it off! The place was wall to wall with people. A number of people had even driven all the way from Cleveland and Indiana (you rule!).
    First up was my former band, ARIUS. They kicked some major ass (even without ME!). They have added a new guitarist to fill my spot. His name is Matt, but I'll be damned if I can remember his last name. I will add it here when I find out. (Sorry Matt!) Anyway, the name isn't as important as the fact that he pulled off their 30 minute set of brutal technicality with only about a month's worth of practicing with the band. Check out the bands' Home Page for release information. I understand they will be releasing a CD sometime this year! Trust me, it'll be worth the price! Buy it when you see it!!!
    Next to take the stage was CARRION. I have to admit, these guys are the most incredible new band to hit Toledo in a looooong time. They remind me of CANNIBAL CORPSE or SUFFOCATION without actually sounding like them or copying their style. They go about it in an original way. I hope to have these guys signed up with Cold Coffin Promotions sometime soon. They are currently recording and should have a CD out soon. Look for it!!!
    Third up was CEPHLIC. These guys have been around for a while, but have had numerous internal problems and numerous unfortunate circumstances go against them, but they are still at it! They refuse to quit! That's great!! They have had to play a number of shows without a bass player because they can't seem to find one who is reliable that can handle the techni-shred riffs that Ron and Dan come up with. Ron also played bass on their demo which will be released soon. It is in final production now. I also hope to have these guys signed up with Cold Coffin Promotions very soon!
    Last up for the night was LUCIFIXION. I regret to say, I had to leave early and did not get a chance to see them. Going on past shows, I would have to say they ripped the place up. They are a very talented and very heavy band. They have recently released their 10 song CD entitled "Indulge in the Macabre". It's a high quality release, professionally packaged and professionally recorded. The unique thing about this band is the drummer, Jeremiah, also handles the lead growls. Check back with my Cold Coffin Promotions page in the future, as this is another band I hope to be working with.

************

Arius/Blood Coven/Carrion/Production Grey

at K.O.'s Tavern 3/28/97

Yet another brutal show rolled into K.O.'s Tavern! First up was Carrion. An extremely brutal set of gut wrenching destruction as per their usual organ (internal of course) grinding riffs and vocals that would give Chris (I gargle with glass) Barnes a run for his money any day! Unfortunately, being the first band up, the sound man didn't have the board tweaked out until almost the end of the set. This didn't keep the crowd from nearly destroying the place anyway. Next was Cleveland's Blood Coven. They are a sick (and I mean that in a good way) band! Very cool material and for added effect, their guitarist/vocalist uses a signal processor in parts of their songs that makes the guitar sound like a keyboard. Very cool and very well done! They are a polished and experienced group and they dominate the Cleveland scene! The most brutal part of the night was Dave's "blood letting" on stage. He proceded to slash his upper arms with (I believe) a razor blade and blood gushed down his arms. This was no trick or illusion, he was actually bleeding all over the place as he played. I said they were a "sick" band! Third was Arius - they had probably the best sound I have ever heard from them blasting through the P.A. and they really stole the show. Every song was tighter than a straight guy's ass in a gay bar! Very impressive! For more info on the band, go to Cold Coffin Promotions and look around. Unfortunately I had to take off before Production Grey played, but I did get to see them the following night (see below) and I was very disappointed that I left!

*************

Arius/Carrion/Cephlic/Lucifixion

at K.O.'s Tavern 3/29/97

First up on Saturday night was Jackson, Michigan's Production Grey. I know the name of the band doesn't reach out and slap you in the face and say "this is a death metal band". I know I was somewhat decieved until they began ripping the place apart with some of the coolest and heaviest stuff I've heard from the Michigan area in quite a while. The vocals are what grabbed me at first. They are very low, heavy, and sick - yet understandable. There was enough clarity with no loss of intensity - very cool. The songs were very catchy and memorable. (See their review in "Eulogies..." along with Arius and Carrion). I felt kind of bad for them having to play last on Friday and first on Saturday when the crowd was not at it's peak. The rest of the corpses don't know what they missed!!! Next was Arius. They sounded great, but not as good as Friday night's stellar performance. Nevertheless, they were brutal as ever and the crowd responded well. Third up was Blood Coven and they just ripped Toledo a new ass! Much more intense than their Friday night performance. They sounded very impressive and put on a killer show - but no blood was flowing on Saturday night! Finally Carrion took the stage to close out the night. They unleashed a new tune (didn't catch the name of it) that was just violent speed and mayhem all the way through. Duke's vocals are just fucking deadly. His range from low gut ripping growls to high glass breaking screaches rivals that of (and, as always, I hate to compare bands, but...) Barnes and Glen Benton on any given day. I would love to hear this band through a big P.A. in a decent sized room! I will say - they are not really doing anything different or out of the ordinary, but what they do - they do well! I guess that's all that matters! Look for a new release from them coming soon and also one track will be featured on Epitaph Magazines next compilation CD. To get info on the magazine: Epitaph Magazine/c/o Jeff Cooch/50 W. Delhi Rd/Ann Arbor, MI 48103-1814 - I think the zine and CD is only like five or ten bucks - so get one. It's a cool mag and Jeff is a cool dude!

***************

The Three Days of Madness - Michigan - Ohio
Jan. 9-11, 1998
Epitaph Magazine and MM Productions, in Celebration of Metal Mom's 50th Birthday
Reviewed by Melanie Rider

*****
Bands:

Cancelled: Enter Self (drummer Chad got mono)

Friday-
Secretion
Blood Coven
Somnus
Darkmoon
Lucifer's Hammer
Exploding Zombies
(Gutted was cut from this bill - that sucks!)

Saturday-
Cryptic Embrace
Arius
Blood Coven
Darkmoon (nearly cut from bill but still played a great 35 min. set!)

Sunday-
Flesh Gallery
Blood Coven
Ahkahru
Gutted
Arius (nearly cut from bill but ended up playing last - 30 min.)
Secretion (cut from this bill - that sucks!)

Reviews by date:

Saturday, Jan. 10, 1998: The Whit's End, Toledo, OH

Excellent show all around for the final three bands. (the first band was pretty derivative and I think most of my time was spent doing interviews, gossip, setting up, etc...so I mostly missed them and can't seem to regret that.)

Of the 3 shows booked by Epitaph Magazine and MM Productions, this was the show that ran the smoothest, had no cancellations or bands cut from the bill due to time constraints, and had the most atmosphere. It was a show attended by about seventy devotees of the regional metal scene, and to those who attended - they bore witness to an intensity and performance overall rarely paralelled.
The club was an upstairs-downstairs affair, with the bar downstairs and the stage upstairs. (so drinking was convienent but playing was a back-breaking-equipment-hauling, sweaty "deal".) It was small, and the stage was remotely lit with recessed bulbs...(so the bands appear lighted from the middle of nowhere on the video footage.) At times, the lights left something to be desired, but at least the club was heated and well-ventilated. Recommended venue for regionals and nationals that really want to "pack" the place...capacity is probably 150 max per floor...
Cryptic Embrace opened the night. The sound was not quite balanced, as often happens to opening bands, so it sounded vaguely muddy...the music was decent but fairly drivative (and the prop setup took longer than the cabinets - for shame on such a teeny stage when the music should be first priority!) Good band, but "needs some work..." They played about forty minutes which gave the rest of the bands time to "hang out", witness the performance, get drinks, etc...and of course, it gave us (the "video crew") time to set up and test out the lighting and stuff. A valuable thing when filming for future releases...
Arius was second. Seven song, super tight set (even with a minor technical glitch that took all of two minutes to fix). Highlights of the set..."Last Suffer", the title track from their classic 1995 demo, played convincingly to a rapt audience, and "Eviscerate". Another highlight was the song so new yet so well-rehearsed that it is nameless but still quite good when played live. They have a driving tempo, a carrying sound, and excellent stage presence...definetly worth seeing live if you can. (they don't perform all that often so stay closely tuned to the scene to find out when the next dates are!) It was the first time I had seen Arius, as I had been waiting since February of 1997, and I was not a bit disappointed. Then...
Blood Coven graced the stage with a charismatic, contagious evil enthusiasm I had not seen the likes of until then. Not only were the songs played well, and tight, and convincingly with bloodlust and anger, but the intros to the songs were a rare treat (good mood?)...Highlights: the "Blood Coven love song", the Kiss of Ahkahru; and the classic Mayhem cover of Freezing Moon. Amazingly, my video footage came out well, despite my insistence on "headbanging" throughout these songs. (I paid dearly for that indulgence the next day, that took a few ibuprofen to get the neck and back soreness to abate.) (hint - videographers : get a tripod!! This leaves you free to thrash!) Standing four feet away from angry deathmetal musicians adorned with a vast array of sharp spikes, chromed chains, and black leather is an experience I cannot relate in print. Just take my word for it...go and see them live! You will NOT be disappointed. This was their best performance to date. A flawless set with excellently balanced sound, a live fury of thrashing hair and stage presence, and a bond with the crowd rarely established made it justly so. And then...
Darkmoon from North Carolina headlined this show. They are "battle metal", an odd hybrid between black metal and some other category known only to the originators of the term "battle metal..." I would call them black metal to the uninitiated...in a cloud of (choking awful) smoke machine, they began an excellent, relentless, pounding set which left me partially deaf until the next night. They only played 35 minutes but it was an unparalelled intensity from their previous performance in Ohio. The whole crowd stayed to witness them, which was good. "Writhing Glory" was probably the highlight of the set. Most of the songs are an extensive mix of guitar synth, keyboards (not used this night), and standard death metal instrumentation...so the overall effect is a rich, total aural experience. (it's deep, man...deep...)
After this show if I had died, I would have died happy. Damn killer show. The video is available (shot from four feet away, it's a collectible) and any who wish to share in the spectacle may contact Melanie (me!) for information...

Sunday, Jan. 11, 1998: The Mosquito Club, Westland, MI

Cursed show! I think every band had some form of problem...must have been the club or the air or something. The sound was decent (but like previous ventures at the Mosquito, it was very staticky on the video...very distorted. Old or blown PA?) The show was also shut down at 1130 pm...a miserably early time to leave a 7 $ show even for a fifteen year old (and I am sure there were several of those present.) Definetly not a fitting end to the weekend. A case of "well-meaning-promoter getting-jerked-around-by-the-venue" again. I enjoyed the show, but that is because I was filming several bands I already knew and liked...for the average human that had never seen these bands before, I surmise it may have been a disappointment.

Highlight:

Gutted - the only band with a flawless set and a crowd response! They played an hour of crunchy, bone-grinding, neck-snapping death metal. Quite enjoyable. Too bad they were not allowed to play this on Friday as well!! This was supposed to be their CD release party...and about twenty people showed up for it! Not good, crowd...if you want metal to live on in Michigan, you are going to have to start attending shows besides Cannibal Corpse...because if you don't, then all the bands will book in Cleveland instead, where people show up just to hear Jim Konya heckle the bands!!! Gutted kicked major ass at this show.

*****

Reflections of Death, Arius, Mi'gauss, Somnus
The Whit's End; Toledo, OH...Friday the 13th of Feb!
Show review by Melanie Rider

First band, Reflections of Death, sounded familiar...doing something like "old Gutted covers"...I enjoyed the "groove" and mid-tempo agression quite a bit. Great way to open the night. The band has a lot of potential.
Arius! Second band, biggest draw. Excellent set. Of course, I filmed from the other side of the stage, and got moshed for it...BUT the video turned out great. Too bad I had to watch the drunk idiots in the pit instead of enjoying every second of oozing viciousness of Arius. No technical difficulties this time, no cut set time, no bad mix - just unrestrained, raw power. Each song had it's moments, from "Kein Gott" (means "no god" in German - and the song is all in German) to "The Last Suffer", Arius delivered. Worth the 2 1/2 hour drive alone.
Mi'gauss - came in all the way from PA. The night before, the bassist left the band, so they were forced to play as a two-peice. (rather than cancel the show) Black/death metal, well-delivered considering the circumstances. They told me to say "they sucked, it was a terrible set", but it wasn't! People *were* up front, and paying attention, for a reason. The band has potential, if they can land a bassist. The band name means "total warfare" in Shawnee (Native American tribe for all of you who don't know your true forefathers!)...music fit the band name and the theme well.
Somnus - couple of changes noted. In "Fulfilling the Throne", Rhiannon the keyboardist sings the verses formerly sung by Scott, no more unusual male *singing* there. It still sounded good but not the immediate-attention-grabber it once was. One older song, "Dominion", was played quite well, after being reworked a little. They played up to their established par and standard, as usual - expect no less. Apparently someone (in the band?) forgot to promote this so there were about twenty people there to see Somnus, who did *not* play that late (12-1 am?), one of Cleveland's finest (goth/doom/black metal?) bands. Good set. Very few witnesses though.
People, get out and support your scene! These bands are what will make the future "most killer" bands you listen to. National acts are great...but they were regional acts at one time...don't forget that your scene exists.

*****

More reprints from Necrosis Magazine coming soon, but for now here are a few PDF files for you to SEE what you have been missing!!! Enjoy!

January 11, 1998 NEW!!!!

August 15, 1998 NEW!!!!

February 5, 1999 NEW!!!!

Friday The 13th In Toledo, Death Metal Style

Reflections of Death, Arius, Mi'gauss, Somnus
The Whit's End; Toledo, OH...Friday the 13th of Feb!

      First band, Reflections of Death, sounded familiar...doing something like "old Gutted covers"...I enjoyed the "groove" and mid-tempo agression quite a bit. Great way to open the night. The band has a lot of potential.
      Arius! Second band, biggest draw. Excellent set. Of course, I filmed from the other side of the stage, and got moshed for it...BUT the video turned out great. Too bad I had to watch the drunk idiots in the pit instead of enjoying every second of oozing viciousness of Arius. No technical difficulties this time, no cut set time, no bad mix - just unrestrained, raw power. Each song had it's moments, from "Kein Gott" (means "no god" in German - and the song is all in German) to "The Last Suffer", Arius delivered. Worth the 2 1/2 hour drive alone.
Mi'gauss - came in all the way from PA. The night before, the bassist left the band, so they were forced to play as a two-peice. (rather than cancel the show) Black/death metal, well-delivered considering the circumstances. They told me to say "they sucked, it was a terrible set", but it wasn't! People *were* up front, and paying attention, for a reason. The band has potential, if they can land a bassist. The band name means "total warfare" in Shawnee (Native American tribe for all of you who don't know your true forefathers!)...music fit the band name and the theme well.
     Somnus - couple of changes noted. In "Fulfilling the Throne", Rhiannon the keyboardist sings the verses formerly sung by Scott, no more unusual male *singing* there. It still sounded good but not the immediate-attention-grabber it once was. One older song, "Dominion", was played quite well, after being reworked a little. They played up to their established par and standard, as usual - expect no less. Apparently someone (in the band?) forgot to promote this so there were about twenty people there to see Somnus, who did *not* play that late (12-1 am?), one of Cleveland's finest (goth/doom/black metal?) bands. Good set. Very few witnesses though.
         People, get out and support your scene! These bands are what will make the future "most killer" bands you listen to. National acts are great...but they were regional acts at one time...don't forget that your scene exists.

- Melanie

Arius/Master
The Whit's End; Toledo, OH; Aug. 14, 1998

Why is it, every time I drive out of town for a show, the show ends up much better than the local fare, and it's usually cheaper? This show was phenomenal. Sound was good, crowd was very into the music, all the bands were appreciated, the set times were adequate <35 min at least per band>, and there was even a riot! It was 2 and a half hours in the car, driving to the show, but worth the trip.

The mosh pit was too violent for tripod-based filming, so basically I stood, thrashed, and watched.

Reflections of Death opened the night with some good, midtempo/fast death metal. The new material sounded excellent.. the lineup changes within the band have obviously been for the better.. I doubt they needed to call themselves 'the warmup act', for the band is good enough to stand alone, not be just a warmup act. ("opening opening", we call it.) Nice progression!

Then the crowd poured in, and Arius took the stage.. and frenzied the crowd.. They unleashed several demons with their new material, and as usual, enraptured the crowd with old favorites such as "Eviscerate" and the closer, "The Last Suffer".. This is what happns when you take musicial brilliance, mix it with pent up agression, and put these people onstage. It's a very good thing. Definetly a band worth watching, as in success, as well as future shows, in the future. The best band of the evening, hands down.

Then there was the riot; they shut down the bar and told Master to go to Cleveland (i.e. they could not play that night).. highlights: 40 angry longhaired guys screaming an swinging at one another, a guy swinging half a railroad timber, the flying beer bottles and shattering glass in the street, and the tales of "I slammed his head into the ground, and then someone swung at me.." Ah, testosterone. Gotta love it.

Then the club reneged on closing the bar as the Toledo police showed up and barricaded in the parking lot. This allowed band setup to continue. Half the crowd left <possibly to nurse wounds sustained in the riot> but the half that stayed, enjoyed a good set from these seasoned death metal genre-co-founders. I think we went to bed at 4 am. Worth the late night, the drive, and the risk <riot>!

- Melanie

Cleveland, Arius/Master
Phantasy Niteclub; Lakewood, OH; Aug. 15, 1998

No riot here.. some bleeding, and good sound, but not one third the excitement of the previous night. Set order sucked, but a decent show nonetheless.

Arius played their first show in Cleveland in three years. Why did they have to be the warmup act? ("opening opening") For two bands that haven't even stable lineups? *sigh* The mind boggles. Anyway.. They drove 2 and a half hours, to play for 50 people. At least the 50 that were there got to appreciate the musicianship, and sheer brutality of the band. Their new material shredded the ears of the listeners and reinforced the reasoning behind them being a signed act. Their old material ruled, as usual.

The only thing to note about Blood Coven is that Dave dyed his hair black, and bled *all over the place*.. it ended up all over his face and arms.. He even walked around after the set still bloody.. second bloodiest I have ever seen him.. Trey Azagthoth revisited.. photos will be here soon..

We only caught 10 captivating minutes of Somnus. I heard "Within" and "Beyond the Shores", was impressed by the clarity of tone, number of people watching them, and the overall stage effect, and then returned to the land of night sky and breezes (we went outside)..

OK, so I left before Master or Sanctorum. I had a hard drive to format. *shrug*

- Melanie

Reflections of Death, Arius, Regurgitation
Signature's Loft, Toledo, OH Feb. 6, 1999

The death metal debut at Signatures Loft, a midsize club, was a success. Turnout, mood, and general crowd response were good, and the sound quality was decent enough.

Reflections of Death must have their "on" and "off" shows. Compared to the previous two times I have seen them, this show was less than spectacular.. this could have been due to the PA at the club, or my perception (since we had been listening to old Gutted songs on the way to the venue - setting a precedent like this causes anything executed inferiorly to be immediately noticeable.) Still a decent band, and a great way to open the night and warm the stage.

"Toledo's Underground Gods" Arius, had the middle spot. Their first live performance in four months, was extremely good. An eight song set, played with the skill we have come to expect from the band. Arius certainly did not disappoint. The highlight of the set was the new material (this time in a slower vein). Old favorites like "Kein Gott" and "Evisceration" thoroughly warmed the crowd into moshpit action (the only pit action of the night) and set the tone for the rest of the show. As usual, I broke my neck thrashing to Arius, and have no regrets about doing so. Arius has a formula set to deliver, and they should not be missed.

We left before Regurgitation finished their set. We stayed for a few of the songs, which mostly seem to revolve around what they promise - "pure sick brutality" (or something like that). If I was pressed, I would say their chief talent and highlight lies in the guitarists' execution of the songs. Ben Deskins and Tony Tipton have long been a formidably skilled metal combination. Topics covered by the band included the sexual torture of women, I think necrophilia, and the usual gore-of-sorts. At least they are not a "speed for speed's sake" band, lest they be *yawn* completely forgettable.

- Melanie

Dissent, Arius, Deaden
Signature's Loft, Toledo OH 2/27/1999

As usual, the Necrosis staff navigated to a club over a hundred miles away, in foul weather with only sketchy directions. Luckily we pulled into the correct parking lot just as the members of Arius were unloading their equipment. After a brief chat in the cold, we all entered the venue and relaxed.

Dissent was ok. They played a hard-rock/heavy metal type of music, which was not properly suited for an otherwise death metal evening, but the music was well-executed, tight, and listenable.

Arius kicked ass. Need I say more? Has Arius ever done anything -but- kick ass? "Ow, my neck!" I said after the set, as usual.. If fans arrived after the beginning of the Deaden set, thus missing Arius, they missed quite a show! The new material displays a polish and very mild stylistic change which is refreshing. Worry not- Arius still plays at breakneck speed, with frightening gutteral vocals and lots of groove and tempo change. Not to be missed.

Deaden kicked major ass. I remember them being a "fast grindy band", but I was extremely surprised to find that they are in fact, a more midtempo oriented "non grindy" band with a lot of flair. I was thoroughly impressed. I guess my memory from the Ohio Deathfest where I saw them first, was fading... Deaden, from Illinois, is worth checking out if they happen to play within a hundred miles of your hometown, too.

Afterparty:

Definetly one of the highlights of the evening. Celebrating Mark Ditch's (ex-Gutted) birthday, a party was held and much merriment abounded.

- Melanie

Home