The experimental/post-hardcore band from Seattle, These Arms Are Snakes have broken up after 8 years as a band. The band first formed in 2002 and had members from Botch, Minus the Bear, and Killsadie, among others over the years. Their last NYC shows were in September 2009.
Below is a statement from the band:
It's with a heavy heart we tell you that These Arms Are Snakes is no more. It's been a great run and we'd like to send out a very hearty "Thank You" to everyone that we've worked with or anyone that we've toured with; anyone that lent us a floor, towed our van and/or trailer, lent a van, given us a listen, downloaded our records prior to their coming out, bought our shit, or asked us where our band name came from; everyone who cooked us food, made habanero-infused tequila, had a safety meeting with us, let Steve gyrate all over you, had to live with any of us, made us pay shitloads of money to get off your punk label, got us into LOST, found Steve drunkenly wandering the streets of Tokyo alone, played Madlibs in the van (plural nouns), lost money promoting one of our shows, took Chris to the hospital, put up with our drunken sorry asses, got into a fight with us, etc. etc
While it's great the band is so appreciative of all the support and help they've gotten over the years, they cite no reason why the band has broken up. This comes with much sadness after so many bands broke up last year. Some bands run their course, I guess. This band wrote music that was musically challenged. It wasn't mainstream. It was experiment. Progressive. Loud. It was different. Over the years the band played with Mastodon, Cursive, Minus the Bear, and Chiodos. The band released three full-length albums in their time together. Their last Tail Swallower and Dove was released in 2008.
I never saw them live. There's no word if the band is going to be playing any last shows. That's why, if there's a band you want to see catch them before it's too late. I don't mean to sound pessimistic like it's inevitable bands will break up but rather reminding you to not push things off so much.
These Arms Are Snakes, thanks for making exciting music. You'll be missed.
There's already been Twitter messages:
@sargenthouse I will always miss my gang, These Arms Are Snakes another band you all should have gone and see play live before it was too late. R.I.P.
@thursdayband: These Arms Are Snakes broke up... Bum out!!! :-(
@suicidesqueeze These Arms Are Snakes RIP 2002 - 2009. http://www.altpress.com/news/8386.htm
@priorities NOOO!!!!! WHY DIDN'T I GO SEE THEM LAST OCTOBER!? RT: These Arms Are Snakes just broke up! http://is.gd/68J3Y (via @seanbuzzgrinder)
Such a shame. This band has meant so much to me for such a long time, and I will probably always regret the fact that I've never seen them live. They've had some of the best experimental material I've ever heard. They also had some of the most memorable, meaningful lyrics as well- This chick got my favorite of their lyrics tattooed, pretty rad:
ReplyDeletehttp://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=2399920&albumID=2201446&imageID=43186083#a=2201446&i=66149387 (via the these arms are snakes myspace) RIP TAAS!