Arsis A Diamond For Disease

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Reviewed by: Cory   //   Published: 11/18/2005

For some bands and labels, EPs are just a way to make a few bucks while a band is between records. In fact, very few bands really seem to take advantage of the possibilities these short-form releases can offer. On Arsis' A Diamond For Disease, the band uses the twenty minutes effectively, creating a focused collection of songs with a series of common threads running through them. All of this is centered on the disc's epic title track, a thirteen-minute piece of melodic death metal at its best.

For anyone who has heard this disc, the obvious conversation piece is the disc's lengthy opener, on which Arsis crafts a series of fine hooks to underscore its technically flawless brand of death metal. The song's main riffs generally hint at a power metal influence and the frequent lead guitar runs prove that influence beyond a shadow of a doubt. Unlike many other bands that have tried to blend the grinding brutality of death metal with the triumphant glory of power metal though, Arsis never let the latter run rampant on the song, instead weaving it under the blast-beats and chugging rhythm section. If this disc contained nothing but this song, it would already have impressed me, but the disc's second half was just as exciting, albeit not quite as mind-blowing.

The second track on A Diamond For Disease is a cover of Alice Cooper's late 80's gem "Roses On White Lace." This thrashy rocker really stands out among his later catalog and Arsis make it their own while remaining respectful to the original. Listening to the two side by side, it's actually a bit surprising how little they actually had to change the song to make it a convincing modern metal tune. While I can't decide if I'm more impressed with the song itself or the band's ability to pick out such a strong tune from Cooper's 1980's material, the fact remains that this song rocks just as hard as the rest of the EP.

While it may seem blasé to include a seemingly random cover on an EP, "The Promise Of Never" plays out as a reprise of sorts, combining lyrical and musical themes from the two previous songs into a closer that ties the disc together, sealing the three tracks into one completely developed musical concept. Many bands of this sort can't even accomplish this within one song, let alone an entire release. As a whole album, they might not have been able to pull it off as neatly, but as an EP, A Diamond For Disease stands out as a legitimately worthwhile release rather than a collection of throwaways and underdeveloped songs.

Bottom Line: I generally have a hard time getting terribly excited about an EP, but Arsis' A Diamond For Disease is cause for celebration. Great songwriting, thoughtful arrangement and spot-on performance make this disc an essential listen despite its relative brevity. Arsis' blend of technical ability, heaviness and incredibly catchy hooks has earned them a spot in the hearts of musicians, critics and fans alike and this EP proves that they deserve it.