One year after the release of Memoria (2024), their latest studio album, Rio Negro band ARKHAM returns with a new single titled “Ansiedad”, a piece that expands their identity within melodic death metal and reflects an evolution in their sound. Maintaining the power of their riffs and the depth of their compositions, this time the band focuses on a greater presence of clean vocals, without losing the intensity of their guttural characteristics. “Ansiedad” not only marks a new musical chapter for ARKHAM, but is also an immersion in emotional chaos and internal struggle.
The lyrics describe anxiety as an unpredictable and paralyzing force, a constant conflict between the individual and their own mind. The phrase “sick and without reason” encapsulates that feeling of being trapped in a state with no explanation or apparent escape. This concept also comes to life on the single’s cover art, which depicts a cerebral labyrinth where thoughts become a prison. The image depicts a person abducted by their own mind, their brain split in half revealing the labyrinth within. Within this framework are figures representing those close to them, reflecting how the protagonist’s anxiety unconsciously extends to those around them. With this release, ARKHAM not only reaffirms its place in the extreme metal scene but also takes its artistic approach to a more introspective and visceral level.
Formed in 2011 in El Bolsón, Río Negro province, ARKHAM has built a unique identity within Argentine melodic death metal. Their approach fuses the aggressiveness of extreme metal with a strong melancholic charge, incorporating nuances of thrash that enhance their sound. Since its inception, the band has maintained a constant evolution, reflected in their discography: the demo Arkham (2013), the EP Raising Worms (2015) and the albums Sons of Death (2018) and Memoria (2024), all received with great acceptance by both the public and specialized critics. Throughout their career, they have shared the stage with metal references such as KATAKLYSM (from Canada), NO GUERRA, OSAMENTA, SERPENTOR and MASTIFAL, in addition to having participated in renowned festivals such as the Criminal Metal Camp in Córdoba in 2016.
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemics, ARKHAM did not stop its march. In 2022, the creative process of Memoria began, an album that was released in January 2024 and that reaffirmed its musical identity. With some changes in its formation but with the same essence as always, the band continues its path in the extreme metal scene, taking its proposal to new horizons. The band is made up of Leonel Martinez on bass, Fabio Nahuelquir on guitar, Santiago Olguín on guitar and vocals, who are joined by Gastón Arias on live vocals, and Nicole Trinchero on drums as a sessionist.