Arson Anthem is a sonic assault that strips away the polish of modern metal to find the jagged, rusted edges of 80s hardcore. It sounds like a group of seasoned musicians rediscovering the primitive thrill of playing too fast and too loud in a cramped room. The guitars are thick with grime, the drums are a relentless d-beat barrage, and the vocals are a desperate, throat-shredding howl.
What makes them distinctive is the 'supergroup' pedigree applied to such a low-fidelity, uncompromising aesthetic. While the members are known for massive, stadium-filling riffs or intricate country-punk, here they lean into the ugly, the fast, and the chaotic. It is the sound of pure catharsis, born from the literal wreckage of post-Katrina New Orleans and a shared obsession with the most abrasive corners of the punk underground.
Start with their self-titled EP to hear the band at their most spontaneous and feral. It is a short, sharp shock of a record that captures the essence of their mission: no solos, no ego, just fifteen minutes of concentrated, high-velocity frustration.
Arson Anthem was an American hardcore punk band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2006. The lineup comprised singer Mike Williams of Eyehategod, guitarist Phil Anselmo (best known as the vocalist for Pantera and Down), country musician, punk rocker and Assjack frontman Hank Williams III on drums, and bassist Collin Yeo. After losing all his possessions in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Mike Williams moved into Anselmo's spare apartment. The two spent countless hours listening to Phil's collection of early hardcore bands. They began jamming with Hank III and Collin Yeo, who were united by their desire to have a hardcore punk band of their very own. According to Williams, the group spent six days in Houston, Texas recording eight songs in the spring of 2006. Their self-titled debut EP was released on February 19, 2008. The 2010 album Insecurity Notoriety received a nod from Exclaim! for the No. 7 Metal Album of the Year. When asked in an interview on July 17, 2013, if anything new would happen with Arson Anthem, Anselmo said "Arson? No. There's probably nothing new going to happen with Arson but, it was fun to do while it lasted [...] So Arson, like I said is one of many side projects that I've done in the past but as for right now nah, there's nothing left to do."
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