Thrash metal band 4ARM is slated to open for Slayer at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Nov. 17.
Credit: Courtesy of Brian Rocha / Fresno Media
“Chaos.”
That’s the word Danny Tomb, the vocalist and rhythm guitarist of thrash metal band 4ARM, used to characterize the band’s sound.
The group is hoping to bring just that to Columbus as it’s slated to take the stage opening for Slayer Sunday at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion at 7:30 p.m.
Hailing from a suburban area of Melbourne, Australia, 4ARM was driven by the desire to escape the grip of its hometown, which Tomb said isn’t a hub for heavy metal, in order to lay claim to any success in the genre’s circuit and bolster its status as a top-tier band.
“We wanted to try to get out of Australia rather than be pigeonholed to just a couple of local pubs … There’s not much there for our contributions,” Tomb said.
Alongside drummer Michael Vafiotis, bassist Andy Hinterreiter and lead guitarist James Munro, Tomb said the band has had one goal with its style of thrash metal since its inception in 2004: to keep the roots of the genre alive while also adding its own modern twist.
“It’s part of our involvement to resurge thrash,” Tomb said. “I like to think we’re part of the thrash surge as a whole, not just some sort of revitalization. We’re happy to be a part of it.”
The band is touring in support of its most recent full-length album, “Submission for Liberty,” as the opening band alongside Gojira for thrash metal band Slayer. Tomb cited the latter of the two, which has been touted as one of the members of the “Big Four” of thrash metal alongside Anthrax, Megadeth and Metallica, as an influence and grew up listening to the thrash metal behemoth.
“To be able to tour with (Slayer) is just ridiculous, really,” Tomb said. “We never thought that we’d be honored like this … For us to be doing this is a childhood dream come true, so to speak.”
Bands like Slayer have helped 4ARM to cultivate its own sound, which Tomb said is “more on the aggressive side of thrash.”
“We pretty much just try to get back to the roots of thrash, but it’s definitely more raw and peeled back,” he said.
Max Mauerman, a third-year in political science and fan of Gojira and Slayer, took a liking to 4ARM after hearing the band for the first time.
“It’s a really cathartic style of metal,” Mauerman said. “It’s so high-energy, in-your-face and unashamedly over-the-top … From the stuff I listened to, I really like that style of thrash a lot.”
He added that he appreciates the band gearing more toward an “old-school thrash metal” sound.
“It sounded like Megadeth or something like that. It definitely has a traditional thrash sound,” he said. “It seems like that’s becoming a thing lately … I think a lot of bands are trying to bring that style back, which is really cool.”
Lexie Alley, a fourth-year in psychology and strategic communication, said 4ARM has a “solid sound” and will complement Slayer very well as an opening act, especially at a thrash metal concert.
“The music inherently creates an atmosphere that is full of energy,” she said. “How fast the songs often are, the content of the lyrics, the complexity, etc. all creates this huge sound live that translates into high energy in the crowd. It’s impossible to be bored at a thrash/heavy metal show when done right.”
The LC Pavilion is located at 405 Neil Ave. Tickets are available for $37.50 in advance through Ticketmaster or $40 at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
