Richmond’s Inter Arma has recently received international acclaim as their new album, Sky Burial (Relapse Records), has appeared on pretty much every list of top metal albums of 2013. Their legend has grown steadily over the past 8 years, tales of their ferocity and glory passed by word of mouth between worshipers and those interested. Richmond has the sort of deep metal scene in which the word “Metal” is usually perceived as the wrong word to describe any given band. Doom and Thrash and Death and Speed, and various Cores and Grinds, are often jumbled together on show posters with hyphens so you know what you’re getting into and don’t accidently go see a band that’s not quite exactly what you were expecting. Inter Arma is above all that. Even the most wizened metallurgists cannot classify the alloy Inter Arma (some say there might even be various kinds of Rock in there), and everyone loves them. –Natan Press