Arsames is an Iranian
death metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
band based in
Mashhad
Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. ...
. It was originally formed in 2002 by Ali Madarshahi.
[Band braves ban for a blare – Iran metal musicians to rock Gangtok on Sunday]
, ''The Telegraph (Kolkata)
''The Telegraph'' is an Indian English daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 7 July 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and competes with the Middle-market newspaper ''The Times of India''. The newspaper is th ...
'', 20 November 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2011 Arsames has had many lineup changes; vocalist and first drummer Ali Madarshahi is the only original member remaining.
The band took their name from a king of the
Persian empire
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the larg ...
during the
Achaemenid dynasty
The Achaemenid dynasty ( ; ; ; ) was a royal house that ruled the Achaemenid Empire, which eventually stretched from Egypt and Thrace in the west to Central Asia and the Indus Valley in the east.
Origins
The history of the Achaemenid dy ...
,
Arsames
Arsames ( Aršāma, modern Persian:،آرسام، آرشام Arshām, Greek: ) was the son of Ariaramnes and the grandfather of Darius I. He was traditionally claimed to have briefly been king of Persia during the Achaemenid dynasty, an ...
.
The band plays
death metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
despite this genre being illegal in Iran and, according to them, considered Satanic by the government.
[
][Wilkinson, James (2010)]
Iranian metal
, ''Time Out Dubai
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 333 cities in 59 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition became ...
'', 30 March 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2011
History
Arsames was formed in 2002. They recorded their debut single "Adiposere" in 2005 in their home studio. In 2006, they independently released the EP ''Cyclopia''.
In 2007, Malaysian documentary maker Zan Azlee interviewed the band as part of ''I'm Muslim Too!'', a documentary on youth in the Middle East.
In April 2010, the band played at Metal Asylum in
Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
.
In November, they played the metal festival Sikkim Fest in India.
They released their debut album, ''Immortal Identity'', the same year.
In July 2011, Arsames announced that they would release an EP of covers titled ''Persian Death Metal Tribute to Warriors of Metal'' through the summer of 2011.
Arrest, persecution, and escape
In 2017, Madarshahi, Mokari, and Kheradmand were arrested on charges of Satanism and taken to
Vakilabad Prison
Vakilabad Prison (زندان وکیلآباد), also called Central Prison of Mashhad (زندان مرکزی مشهد), is a prison in Iran, located in the city of Mashhad in the northeast of the country. The prison has reportedly been the site ...
. They were later released on bail and ordered to stop their activities, an order which they did not heed. The Iranian government eventually sentenced the band members to 5 years in prison each. In August 2020, all three escaped from Iran. Two members of another Iranian metal band,
Confess, had been similarly persecuted and sentenced to prison time before fleeing the country in 2015. They were later granted asylum in Norway.
Band members
Current members
* Ali Madarshahi - vocals
* Saeed Mokari - bass
* Soroush Kheradmand - drums
Former members
* Levik Yeremian - guitar
* Morteza Shahrami - guitar
* Saeed Shariat - drums
* Ahmad Tokalou - guitar
* Hamed "Fetusgrinder" Azizi - vocals
* Hamid Yousefi Faverani - guitar
* Hamid Alizadeh - guitar
* Ali Sanaei - bass
* Rouzbeh Zourchang - bass
Discography
EPs
* ''Cyclopia'' (2006)
* ''Persian Death Metal Tribute to Warriors of Metal'' (2011)
Studio albums
* ''Immortal Identity'' (2010)
References
External links
BandcampInstagramYouTubeFacebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arsames (Band)
Melodic death metal musical groups
Iranian death metal musical groups
Oriental metal musical groups