Inter Arma - Sulphur English
1 - Who are Inter Arma?
From Richmond, Virginia the band are:
T.J. Childers - Drums
Steven Russell - Guitars
Trey Dalton - Guitars
Mike Paparo - Vocals
Andrew Lacour - Bass
Inter Arma belong in the same conversation as bands such as YOB, Neurosis, SUMAC and Old Man Gloom. They blend a trance inducing and meditative version of Doom, Sludge, Psychedelia and metal that is often wound together with acoustic/melodic flourishes.
2 - Discography
Forcefield Records
Sundown (2009): 48 minutes
Relapse Records
Sky Burial (2013): 67 minutes
The Cavern (2014): 46 minutes
Paradise Gallows (2016): 94 minutes
Sulphur English: 67 minutes
3 - Album name
Sulphur is the name of an American butterfly with mainly yellow wings that can bear darker patches - much like the album. The album also reflects a reaction to the current state of aggressive actions and aggressive language - all sung in English.
4 - How does it stand out in their catalogue?
Sulphur English is Inter Arma’s heaviest, darkest and ugliest release. It has more in common structurally to Sky Burial, however the aspects of Death Metal, specifically vocally put this in a different dimension. Inter Arma should not be pigeon holed, they will not let you from song to song, let alone release to release. Just absorb it and enjoy the ride, because they are a special unit.
5 - Artwork
The band searched far and wide for an image that depicted how the album should look visually. In fact it did apparently cause some conflict and frustration. Finally the band located an image in a forestry book: a burning tree. It is a striking image, and much like the album. Fire can be described many ways: pain - destruction - chaos - unforgiving - turbulent - unpredictable - mean - devastating - waste. The list goes on, just like Sulphur English.
6 - Sulphur English
Opens with an uncomfortable high pitched squeal with industrial thuds which leads into thunderous and thick doom wall of anguish. That build then disintegrates into A Waxen Sea, which is over 7 minutes of similar discordant and dissonant bleak passages. Nothing settles here - everything is either angular or purposefully pissed off. Citadel gives no respite and opens in a similar fashion, the track ebbs and flows through death metal growls and black metal rips, with some wild guitar textures that threatens and threatens to explode. Howling Hands is a different beast all together with an almost gothic, but haunting post punk vocal. The craft has improved here, Inter Arma have recorded this in an organic manner - a middle finger to modern techniques. Stillness is a hunting track that rounds out the first half, before The Atavist’s Meridian unleashes in a throttling fashion. There is less psychedelia here than the colour laden Paradise Gallows. It is a different album; but a better and more rewarding album for the patient and those willing to inhale.
Sulphur English is a brilliant album and enters the Rolling Top Ten of 2019 as at September 2019.
7 - Weakness
It requires multiple listens, plenty in fact in order for the slow moving wonders to lurk your inner rhythm - that is not by any means a bad thing. The manner in which Inter Arma throw the listener curveball upon curveball is unpleasant. You will never become settled into a particular rhythm, tone or feeling. The tracklist and pacing was clearly designed to force this upon you. Stillness is a marvellous, slow, sombre and sad centrepiece; however immediately after this comes a 1:42 doom laden piano track: Observances of the Path. Then comes the album highlight in the throttling and hammer down The Atavist’s Meridian, only then for the album to drop back into Stillness like waters with Blood on the Lupines. There is nothing wrong with this approach at all, however the album does suffer as a complete piece due to its flow. A very minor flaw.
8 - The Fire
The lyrics on Sulphur English paint a marvellous picture of a world in tatters - an environment at war with itself. However it is open for interpretation. It is art that is not handed to the listener on a platter, and you really need to work for it as well. Complimenting the artwork though is a through line. The theme of fire recurs in Citadel, Stillness and The Atavist’s Meridian. While the artwork depicts a burning tree, it is interesting to note that some of the lyrics point inward to a burning fire.
9 - Clip