Himsa (band)
Encyclopedia
Himsa was an American heavy metal
band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1998, their band name was derrive from the word Ahimsa
, which in Sanskrit
means "to abstain from causing harm". Removal of the "A" gives the word opposite meaning. Himsa literally means "violence in Sanskrit
, Hindi
and other Indian languages like Gujarati
, Marathi
, Telugu
and Tamil
.
The group released four full-length studio albums, two EPs and one DVD before their disestablishment in 2008.
and full-length album in 1999 on Revelation Records
. Before being signed to Prosthetic Records
, the band released one more EP in 2001, which was also on Revelation.
2003 saw Himsa record and release their album Courting Tragedy and Disaster
. Following the release of the album the band toured extensively throughout the US and other parts of the world. They spent the latter half of 2005 in Denmark
, recording their followup album, Hail Horror
.
In December 2006, Himsa announced that they have signed with Century Media Records
.
On April 23, 2007, Himsa entered the studio to work on their new album, Summon in Thunder
, which was released on September 18, 2007. This was their only studio album released on Century Media Records. This album added a more melodic death metal
sound to the band.
, A Life Once Lost, and Dead To Fall
. During November 2006, Himsa toured Australia
with Parkway Drive and Cry Murder, including a show with Gold Coast band City In Panic.
On June 20, 2008, bassist Derek Harn issued a statement via blabbermouth.net as follows:
"After 10+ years, four releases, countless tours and almost incomprehensible (yet constant) upheaval, the last three years of the band have been relatively stable.
Having sacrificed everything we had in order to ensure the band's survival it's time to let it go. We made a great CD ('Summon in Thunder', Century Media); reportedly, our best. We've got a great label. We're getting along, we've toured and we’re fine. It's all good. We're leaving it at that. A relatively unremarkable closing to HIMSA's gi-normously dramatic career, there appears to be no acrimony or unpleasantness, simply the end of a blistering, phenomenal, tumultuous era of the metal that HIMSA permeated into the modern musical landscape. References have been made to the band's evolving difficulties with the relentless
touring schedules that have been the hallmark of HIMSA's career. If we can't tour, and our reality is we can't tour as we have in the past, then it's not HIMSA. Better to hang it up than fade away.”
Vocalist John Pettibone said that he will devote all his time to side bands such as The Vows and has said he is done with touring, however has recently joined Seattle band 'Heiress'.
EPs
DVDs
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1998, their band name was derrive from the word Ahimsa
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm . The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims – to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. It is an important tenet of the Indian religions...
, which in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
means "to abstain from causing harm". Removal of the "A" gives the word opposite meaning. Himsa literally means "violence in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and other Indian languages like Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
The group released four full-length studio albums, two EPs and one DVD before their disestablishment in 2008.
History
The band formed in 1998 and released an independent EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and full-length album in 1999 on Revelation Records
Revelation Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for its role in the evolution of hardcore and metallic post-hardcore with important releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side,...
. Before being signed to Prosthetic Records
Prosthetic Records
Prosthetic Records is a record label specializing in heavy metal recordings. Founded by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald both former employees of Columbia Records, in Los Angeles, California in 1998...
, the band released one more EP in 2001, which was also on Revelation.
2003 saw Himsa record and release their album Courting Tragedy and Disaster
Courting Tragedy and Disaster
"Music Videos""Rain To the Sound of Panic"Girl In Glass""Cherum"Courting Tragedy And Disaster is Himsa's second album. The sound of the album is very general metalcore with some more rock influences.-Track listing:#"Dominion" - 3:16...
. Following the release of the album the band toured extensively throughout the US and other parts of the world. They spent the latter half of 2005 in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, recording their followup album, Hail Horror
Hail Horror
Hail Horror is Himsa's third full length album. It was released February 7, 2006 through Prosthetic Records. It was delayed by one year. This is the first time where we hear the band fully embrace the melodic death metal sound in some parts of the album....
.
In December 2006, Himsa announced that they have signed with Century Media Records
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
.
On April 23, 2007, Himsa entered the studio to work on their new album, Summon in Thunder
Summon in Thunder
Summon In Thunder is Himsa's fourth and last full length album. It was released September 18, 2007 through Century Media Records. Music videos were made for the songs "Unleash Carnage" and "Big Timber".-Track listing:#"Reinventing the Noose" – 5:17...
, which was released on September 18, 2007. This was their only studio album released on Century Media Records. This album added a more melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
sound to the band.
Touring
In early 2006, Himsa toured with Darkest Hour, The Acacia StrainThe Acacia Strain
The Acacia Strain is an American deathcore band from Chicopee, Massachusetts. Originally founded in 2001, the band itself has undergone numerous changes in the member line-up...
, A Life Once Lost, and Dead To Fall
Dead to Fall
Dead to Fall was originally a melodic death metal band from the Chicago suburbs and later stretched from Chicago to Minneapolis. Formed in 1999, it drew influences from Swedish Gothenburg metal, death metal, and other genres, and is usually labeled as a melodic death metal band...
. During November 2006, Himsa toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with Parkway Drive and Cry Murder, including a show with Gold Coast band City In Panic.
Disbandment
Himsa has advertised that their August 16, 2008 at El Corazon in Seattle will be their last show ever.On June 20, 2008, bassist Derek Harn issued a statement via blabbermouth.net as follows:
"After 10+ years, four releases, countless tours and almost incomprehensible (yet constant) upheaval, the last three years of the band have been relatively stable.
Having sacrificed everything we had in order to ensure the band's survival it's time to let it go. We made a great CD ('Summon in Thunder', Century Media); reportedly, our best. We've got a great label. We're getting along, we've toured and we’re fine. It's all good. We're leaving it at that. A relatively unremarkable closing to HIMSA's gi-normously dramatic career, there appears to be no acrimony or unpleasantness, simply the end of a blistering, phenomenal, tumultuous era of the metal that HIMSA permeated into the modern musical landscape. References have been made to the band's evolving difficulties with the relentless
touring schedules that have been the hallmark of HIMSA's career. If we can't tour, and our reality is we can't tour as we have in the past, then it's not HIMSA. Better to hang it up than fade away.”
Vocalist John Pettibone said that he will devote all his time to side bands such as The Vows and has said he is done with touring, however has recently joined Seattle band 'Heiress'.
Discography
Studio albums- Ground Breaking CeremonyGround Breaking CeremonyGround Breaking Ceremony is Himsa's first album. It was released on the 2nd of November 1999 through Revelation Records . This was the only full-length album not to feature John Pettibone as vocalist.-Track listing:#"Daylight Savings" - 1:20...
(1999) - Courting Tragedy and DisasterCourting Tragedy and Disaster"Music Videos""Rain To the Sound of Panic"Girl In Glass""Cherum"Courting Tragedy And Disaster is Himsa's second album. The sound of the album is very general metalcore with some more rock influences.-Track listing:#"Dominion" - 3:16...
(2003) - Hail HorrorHail HorrorHail Horror is Himsa's third full length album. It was released February 7, 2006 through Prosthetic Records. It was delayed by one year. This is the first time where we hear the band fully embrace the melodic death metal sound in some parts of the album....
(2006) - Summon in ThunderSummon in ThunderSummon In Thunder is Himsa's fourth and last full length album. It was released September 18, 2007 through Century Media Records. Music videos were made for the songs "Unleash Carnage" and "Big Timber".-Track listing:#"Reinventing the Noose" – 5:17...
(2007)
EPs
- HimsaHimsa (EP)Himsa is the first EP by the metal band Himsa. It is more heavily influenced by hard-core punk than their newer material....
(1999) - Death Is InfiniteDeath Is InfiniteDeath Is Infinite is the second EP by the American metalcore band Himsa. And is also the first recording with lead singer John Pettibone.-Track listing:#"Born to Conquer" – 2:50#"Another Version of Twist" – 1:32#"Hellbent and Hammered" – 3:07...
(2001)
DVDs
- You've Seen Too Much (2005)
Members
Himsa has gone through many line-up changes, bassist Derek Harn was the only original member remaining.| (1998–1999) |
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| (1999) |
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| (1999) |
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| (1999–2000) |
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| (2000) |
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| (2000- Asian Tour) |
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| (2000) |
Tim Mullen (drummer) Tim Mullen is an American rock drummer. He was the member of the well known heavy metal outfit Himsa from 2000 to 2003. Mullen joined Seattle punk rock band Sledgeback in 2009.-Musical career:Tim Mullen was a member of Seattle heavy metal outfit, Himsa... - Drums |
| (2000–2001) |
Tim Mullen (drummer) Tim Mullen is an American rock drummer. He was the member of the well known heavy metal outfit Himsa from 2000 to 2003. Mullen joined Seattle punk rock band Sledgeback in 2009.-Musical career:Tim Mullen was a member of Seattle heavy metal outfit, Himsa... - Drums |
| (2001–2002) |
Tim Mullen (drummer) Tim Mullen is an American rock drummer. He was the member of the well known heavy metal outfit Himsa from 2000 to 2003. Mullen joined Seattle punk rock band Sledgeback in 2009.-Musical career:Tim Mullen was a member of Seattle heavy metal outfit, Himsa... - Drums |
| (2002–2003) |
Tim Mullen (drummer) Tim Mullen is an American rock drummer. He was the member of the well known heavy metal outfit Himsa from 2000 to 2003. Mullen joined Seattle punk rock band Sledgeback in 2009.-Musical career:Tim Mullen was a member of Seattle heavy metal outfit, Himsa... - Drums |
| (2003) |
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| (2003) |
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| (2003) |
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| (2003–2005) |
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| (2005–2007) |
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| (2007–2008) |
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