Photo by Jonah Livingston
Richmond tacticians Inter Arma have confirmed the expected due date for their first studio album of original work since 2019's lauded, Sulphur English. Eyeing April 26th for the arrival, the band have issued the first offensive from the Relapse Records' presentation - delivering a seven-minute spiral of dynamic, dismal dissonance in the album's title track, "New Heaven".
Embracing a psychedelic lean of musical extremity, Inter Arma conducts a masterful amalgam of doom, death, black and sludge that amounts to a gargantuan wall of sound plays out with Herculean heft.
Enduring personnel changes while navigating the often fickle world of extreme music, all while dealing with the fallout of a once-in-a-lifetime if ever kind of pandemic, New Haven speaks to the resilience of band that persevered in face of extenuating circumstances and then some.
Inter Arma drummer T.J. Childers underscored the personal triumph in seeing this record to completion. "New Heaven is the culmination of four years worth of adversity ranging from near death experiences, multiple member changes and of course a global pandemic. It marks a new chapter for us musically as we feel we've taken our songwriting to places we've never explored before. We're excited to have come out of the madness relatively unscathed and feel as though we've created something completely unique that will stand apart in the sometimes homogenous extreme music community."
Guitarist Trey Dalton reiterated, "This record, maybe more than our previous efforts, more fully represents what we're trying to accomplish. It's still very much us - you know, music made by dudes coming from disparate musical backgrounds and perspectives, but with a more collective and defined sense of purpose. Clarity in direction, maybe. Your mileage may vary, but we like it a lot, and we hope you do too."
Ahead of the release of New Haven, Inter Arma have been confirmed to appear at this year's Roadburn Music Festival in The Netherlands. The April 18th performance will see the band showcase their latest effort, playing New Haven in full for the specially curated set.
New Heaven from Inter Arma lands April 26th via Relapse Records. The album is available for order - HERE
