British metal newcomers Arimea aim to capture the essence of 2000s nu-metal with elements of hardcore and hip-hop. So expect chunky riffs combined with a splash of record scratch, a sprinkle of Misha Collins love-in, and a heavy dose of deliciously engaging vocals in a sound they describe as “impenetrable, nostalgic and alluring.”
The band started out in 2018 when vocalist Whitney Cooper returned to Oxford after four years of living in Bristol. Guitarist Joe Landles and drummer Ricky Steadman had long made music together under various names and were childhood friends of Whitney, who tells us: “We used to play beyblades, that’s when our relationship peaked… obviously. I basically came in and stole them both away for myself.” The lineup was completed by Whitney’s brother Tom Cooper on guitar, on whom Whitney adds: “It has always been written in the stars that we would work together, it was just when and how. So when I moved back home, it was a no-brainer that this was what we would do.”
And describing the Arimea sound, Whitney explains: “We are trying to capture that nostalgic essence of 2000’s nu-metal… the bands that you used to download on your iPod Classic and listen to the same albums on repeat over and over again. You can expect thick chunky guitar tones playing big meaty riffs with a crashing vocal that throws you side to side from sweet, sultry tones to ferocious classic nu-metal-esk growls.”
Our latest taste of this is Castiel, which was released in October. It opens up with chunky chords chords under a funky sweeping electronic noise. Whitney’s engaging vocals take over in a laid-back verse, then heavy vocals usher in the return of the big guitars supporting a more intense chorus “I’ll scare your demons away, Because you’re sweeter than my Castiel, Fallen wings and stolen grace, Time is on our side.” Dreamy guitars come in before bursting into a bouncy riff supporting the post-chorus line “Help me, my weak vessel can’t hold me any longer, Abaddon is the future, Help me, my weak vessel is slowly growing stronger, Abaddon is the future.” That flows into two more choruses before the post-chorus section brings the track to a close.
On the track, Whitney told us: “The reception for Castiel has been honestly amazing for us. We had a lot of issues with our distributor for the last two releases, so we have had to do everything DIY, and we’ve been working really hard to get it out there! We started this year, motivated and excited to be able to release a catalogue of new music that we adore, in order to build a solid foundation for the next chapter of Arimea. Starting with Nostalgia, which took us all by surprise, rocketing on YouTube to 50K views in just a week, we couldn’t have asked for more from the get-go.
“Castiel has been the last building block of this year and this campaign, the song means so much to us, that’s why we left it to last! Castiel is basically a love letter to Misha Collins who plays the character Castiel in the TV series Supernatural. It obviously is a metaphor for a lot of other things, but I want the listener to figure that out for themselves, so for now the song is for my celebrity crush – Misha. Expect a wall of angelic, grungy sound with a lullabye-esk vocal paired with a kick in the teeth snare sound!” Check out Castiel in the video here:
That follows the aforementioned Nostalgia, which is another banger of a track. It opens up with a bouncy riff alongside cheeky record scratches under repeats of “It’s all imaginary.” Mellow vocals lead us through a dreamy verse that gradually builds and bursts into life with a powerful chorus “Look to the sky, What do you see, Behind you it’s (starry eyes, starry eyes), Nostalgia myths and nostalgia dreams, Your memories are (lost in time, lost in time).”
Palm muted guitars creep in through another chilled verse, then the instrumentals drop out, leaving light vocals before a building guitar leads us into a powerful section led by repeats of “This nostalgia is make believe.” Chunky guitar chords kick in and set up another big chorus before a heavy outro, which culminates in booming guitars supporting a slightly gothic electronic noise. Check it out in the video here:
Nostalgia was the first of four sets of two-track single releases last year, and was supported the really heavy Rinse and Repeat that sees Whitney pull out some delicious guttural vocals. And there’s plenty more where that came from, including the excellent Silent Space, which was released along the equally good From The Bottom. Before that was Remember It Kid, which features huge guttural vocals and you can check out in the video below, and potentially a personal favourite in the fantastic From The Light, along with big tracks like Wish, so there’s plenty of music for you to dig your teeth into.
Arimea draw influence from the likes of Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails, while Joe’s favourite band is apparently The Deer Hunter. And Whitney draws inspirations from the likes of Destiny Potato, Knife Bride, one of our favourites As Everything Unfolds, and, in her words, “the legend herself – Miley Cyrus. I genuinely think she is brilliant.”
And on what inspires them to write music, Whitney explains: “A lot of our music is written about mental health with the key issue being growth and how we all feel pain to grow. Life is a crazy ride but writing music that is easily relatable gives me a glimmer of hope that someone who is struggling or going through similar situations, will be able to take comfort in my lyrics and hear them in a way that relates to them and their situation.
“I am a massive advocate for talking, you must always talk. Talking is one of the only ways that we can help ourselves when we are going through tough times. My biggest goal is to be able to let people know that no matter who you are or what the situation is, there is always someone you can talk to, and if it’s me at a show, that’s even better. My dream is to create a community, where people feel safe to talk and cry/sing/laugh to our songs.”
There’s plenty more to come from Arimea, including a long list of gigs across the UK starting at The Junction in Plymouth on Friday (8 March) then a hometown show alongside Dream State at The Bullingdon in Oxford on 1 April. And all their gig information is here. They’ll also have more new music coming our way this year, which begins with latest track Merylin being released next Friday (15 March) and you can pre-save it here.
And Whitney tellls us: “We have lots of plans for 2024, we have some new music coming that feels much more mature, we are getting darker and heavier than before and I can’t wait to play them live!
“We really hope that you love this music as much as we do, we have put so much love and energy into these releases and into our live shows, I hope that comes across when you listen. If not, stick with us because I promise next year there will be something for everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my words and listen to our music and hopefully we’ll see you at a show in the future! Keep talking and stay hydrated.”
You can follow Arimea on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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