Arsis: Lepers Caress

This is yet another short and intriguing EP from Scion A/V Records.  Arsis has been a band that I have been following fairly closely since I discovered them.  Arsis started out as a very technical melodic death metal band.  Over the years, their technicality has decreased somewhat as they have focused more and more on crafting memorable songs.

Arsis opens things up with an intro track here, which I would argue is probably not necessary on an EP.  But from there, Arsis gets right back at what they do best, which is to rampage through some razor-sharp riffs with insane drumming patterns, and the manic vocals of James Malone.  The EP definitely picks up from there and refuses to waver after that point.  Arsis has continued with their recent trend of making their songs as memorable as possible.  Each track after the introduction has its own infectious moments.

"Veil of Mourning Black" is a re-recording of an early Arsis track.  The remaining tracks are all new.  The closing track "Denied" stands out as the highlight on the EP, ending things on a very high note.

There is not much here to really make an impact on non-fans of the band.  If you like Arsis, you will likely like this one.  If not, this probably will not change your mind.