«
»
Rampant Rumors

ARSIS BASSIST NATHANIEL CARTER LEAVES BAND BECAUSE HE HATES WEED?

 Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 at 11:30am by

Let me begin by saying that this should be treated as hearsay until further notice. There’s been no official statement by the band, so we’re really just going on a reader e-mail here. And while we love you guys, y’know. We also love not reporting false information and/or getting sued.

So ANYWAY, MS Maniac Brutal Jay e-mailed us about the MetalSucks-sponsored Facemelter Tour‘s recent stop in Spartanburg, SC – and, specifically, the fact that the band now seems to be a member short. Says Brutal Jay:

“When Arsis took the stage the first thing I noticed was the absence of a bass player. Now, on stage Jim [Malone, guitarist/vocalist] tried to play it off by saying ‘We had a bass player last night but… I guess his face melted… or something.’ So of course after their set I went up to Nick [Cordle, guitarist] to see what actually happened. And Nick said ‘[Bassist Nathanial Carter] smelled pot on the bus and got all pissed off. We didn’t know this but apparently he’s real militant about this sorta thing. He pulled his cell phone out and was threatening to call the cops and shit. So we got him a plane ticket back to Texas and I guess we’ll be without a bass player for a few shows.’”

So, assuming that’s true… uh… big whoop. For one thing, I think everyone and their mother is aware is Arsis has gone through a lot of line-up changes over the years, and it doesn’t really matter, because, with all due respect to the other talented musicians who have played in Arsis, James Malone is the genius and creative driving force behind that band. In fact, I’d now like to propose that Jim and the band both just change their names to Malarsis in order to avoid any further confusion.

Also, it’s hard for me to get behind someone who is so staunchly anti-weed as Carter (assuming he actually is anti-weed). If you don’t wanna poke smot, fine; more for the rest of us! But would you really call the cops on your own band mates? If so, congratulations! You are a tool. Please report to Home Depot for you new job assignment.

If anyone has seen any subsequent Arsis dates and can give us an update, please do so.

-AR

Tags: , , , ,
  • NeoMoose

    Saw Arsis last night. Still no bass player. Malone really is a cool dude though. Hope he gets all of that sorted out.

  • YOUR BOSS

    oh fuck what are they gonna do without a bass player? he was such an integral part of their albums.

    • Strapping Young Lad

      hahaha, I don’t think I’ve ever even heard a hint of bass in any of their albums.

    • >_>

      Cant even give you a +# high enough for this observation.

    • sic13

      Has anyone else had a “Murderface found religion have to kick him out of the band” moment?

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-44499-San-Antonio-Heavy-Metal-Examiner San Antonio Heavy Metal Examiner

    Man, that’s weird. I’m seeing them tonight with Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse, should be a good show nonetheless.

    • NeoMoose

      They brought it in Houston last night. It’s just fine without the bass player, although very different.

    • Manny

      I will also be there!

    • Dieing Feetus

      I’ve had such a boner for that show for forever. Too bad I cant go.

  • Trollkien

    It’s hearsay. Not heresy.

    • Genial Gentile

      great minds and such.

  • Genial Gentile

    hearsay…not heresy.

  • kidgruesome

    Yeah, I was at the show last night in Houston. Also, the guitarist for Misery Index (Sparky?) quit. They played a quick set and it was only three of them. And when Arsis went on, the mic went out on the bass drums on the first song, so without the bass drum and no bass Forced to Rock sounded a little slight. They shredded it anyways.

    • NeoMoose

      Arsis is in a unique position where they shred so fucking hard that you really don’t miss it, it’s just different. Forced to Rock was certainly a little light, but once they fixed it and jacked the bass drums it worked.

      Misery Index sounded KILLER even with only the three members. I’d never seen them before and didn’t even realize someone was missing until you said something.

      • kidgruesome

        I saw them at Walter’s a little more than a month ago, they tore shit up with all four members. I talked to the guitarist, he says they have another guy “on deck”. I agree they sounded killer, but I think they shortened their set because of the missing guy. It seemed like Annotations and Conducting played longer than they did.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Sean-Heron/9391234 Ryan Sean Heron

    i can sympathize with him. complete braindead moron potheads are really fucking annoying to deal with every day when you aren’t a pot smoker or even if you only smoke occasionally like myself. believe me, some of my closest life long friends I can barely even stand to be around anymore because they’re total burnouts.

    • andy morales

      i 2nd that statement

    • PD

      I have nothing against pot, just people who try to push it on others. Have (or should I say had?) a friend who couldn’t handle it and did all this stupid fucking shit while high, then started smoking K2 and tried to start something on fire. He’s in jail now. I also have a friend who smoked (maybe still does, need to catch up with him sometime) all the damn time and you wouldn’t have really noticed it.

      If you can handle it and enjoy it, no harm, no foul. If you can’t handle it YET STILL SMOKE, you need to re-evaluate your priorities…and your life.

    • dmsuperman

      Ok, but what do loser moron stoners have to do with people who smoke weed? If you’re a loser moron, you’re a loser moron. If you happen to smoke weed all the time, so be it. Don’t blame the moronic behavior on weed, it has nothing to do with it. Smoking weed doesn’t make you a different person.

      • Super Blaze Dave

        yeah it brings out the moron already in you

      • Loves2Spooge

        1

      • Chip Northcutt

        Correct, sir. Willie Nelson is no different after decade except that he is more healthy cause he quit drinking. Hating weed is far less sensible than hating alcohol considering the damage done. This is a form of hypocrisy based on being unwilling to accept the will/perspective of others as valid to them, as yours to you. Ego kills every time, it is the wrong path.

      • SourDeez

        Exactly. I’ve been smoking weed for 7 years, and maintain a 3.8 GPA at college. I have a job. I’m a contributing member of society, and most people I know who smoke weed are as well. Only some people turn into burnout losers. It’s certainly not the kind of drug that inevitably takes over your life. It has the potential to do that, but that’s only if you’re a dumbass to begin with. Weed can actually be beneficial to the psyche if consumed in moderation.

      • Vinsanity

        id argue that weed did make me a different person, in the sense that i stopped following society and the law like a good little sheep. i found out it was bullshit. took a class on endocannabinoids, the dr. who taught it started out by sayin: “hello, i consume and have consumed marijuana everyday since age 16, 63 now, have a Ph.D, and came to this university to be head of the biology dept. and was top of my grad class.” yes, most people are just stupid, weed is not the culprit. and for those who dont know (most dont cuz my univ is only school in world to teach a class on this), we produce cannabinoids naturally and they aid us in nearly all levels of regulation: cardiovascular, pulmonary, respiratory, immunological, neurological, etc. Its an upper division bio course so you need prereqs, but everyone who takes that class, even cops, have a new, scientifically supported view. in case any of ya didnt know. POT good!!!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jay-See/726690352 Jay See

      Indeed; RSH’s statement is moot in the context of this situation…

      Are the members of Arsis “complete braindead moron potheads”? If so, you’d think the guy wouldn’t have JOINED the band in the first place. He seems to have a problem with weed, period.

      I’m an undergraduate research student in behavioural neurosciences and quite frankly just about every one of my colleagues (along with myself) have been known to enjoy weed on a regular basis and yet the students in our program are considered the “elite” of the entire university.

      Smoking weed does NOT = being a “complete braindead moron pothead”

      If you’re a moron, you’re a moron… smoking pot will exaggerate your stupidity.

    • http://bloodandthumbsticks.blogspot.com/ The Overmatt

      The main people I have a problem with in this case are the people whose social lives pretty much revolve around weed. I dated a girl like that last year and it gets to be such a chore if you’re not someone who’s into it. Every time she and her friends got together, they just HAD to smoke. Couldn’t have a single social moment where someone wasn’t talking about weed in some shape or form. Those are the people I think are retarded.

      Regarding the Arsis situation, it seems kinda weird that the guy stayed with the band for this amount of time already if their habits bothered him that much.

      • http://heavybrutal.com/ familyghost

        agreed, yup, the ghost is drug free =p bet you’re all surprised

  • Driven9

    that is a creepy ass baby (doll?) in the back of that photo.

  • Ben

    That’s weird. When I saw them they had signs at the merch table that their drummer wanted to get high with us, and James went on about it in between songs. Some dude ran on stage and handed the drummer a joint.

  • Andy Synn

    Bring back Noah Martin please, due to the weirdly dry mix on WATN he never really got his due.

    • http://thenumberoftheblog.com DemiGodRaven

      For the love of god, yes. Bring back Noah Martin. Then you’ll have 3/4ths of my favorite Arsis lineup.

      • NEGRONOMOUS

        yeahhh bring Noah back he was the shit

  • xvanillagorillax

    If everyone agrees that it’s safe to assume that this cat knew that there were members of Arsis that smoked pot before he joined or at least discovered it after joining, I gotta question the timing and the method of letting them know that he wasn’t into it. Besides, it’s just pot (and that’s coming from someone who’s straightedge).

    RJ

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Leeroy-Matingley/1346851026 Leeroy Matingley

      Maybe hes on probation or some other weirdness and is terrified of getting arrested. I’m thinkin he probably asked them to stop for whatever reason and flipped out when they didn’t. Or maybe some some trainwreck raped his sister, who knows.

  • Vinsanity

    well shit as long as they dont cancel it. i already bought three of them bitches!!! i play the guitar so i always focus on their shreddin at shows and less of the bass. too bad for my friend though, he is a bassist :(

  • http://Brian Brian

    I saw them on saturday in tampa. Towards the end of the show, Jim said something to the effect of calling their bassist a pussy for bailing on them.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ian-Verdugo/1128951014 Ian Verdugo

    What a bitch.

  • SourDeez

    I’m sorry, but if you’re THAT militant about weed then what the fuck are you doing in the metal business?

  • Alex_P

    I don’t smoke pot, I’m against it (for myself, not others).

    But that’s a dick move. Way to kill everyone’s buzz.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Basil-Chiasson/1683420052 Basil Chiasson

    What kind of metal bassist doesn’t smoke pot?

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Basil-Chiasson/1683420052 Basil Chiasson

      sorry for the double post

  • Bazzlemedazzle

    How the hell is the bass player the one that doesn’t smoke pot?

  • Metalcupcakes

    Metal bands have bass players?

    • Alex_P

      1

  • Piero

    Well, at least if they disbanded they would stop releasing shitty albums like Starve for the Devil that are completely ruining the legacy of good metal releases such as A Celebration of Guilt

  • Brock Sterns

    Was “poke smot” a joke. ’cause I feel like an idiot either way

  • Sandblast

    I mean, I hate weed too, but I don’t really think that is a valid reason to leave a band.

  • ITTOA666

    He probably just left because they suck now. That new shit is garbage, and thats coming from someone that loves the first 2 dragonfart albums.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dan-Roshin-Wolfson/557092638 Dan Roshin Wolfson

    He’s covering up for his recently acquired meth addiction

  • Kye

    I’m very much against drugs. I don’t do them, I don’t support others doing. At the same time, however, as long as what you’re doing doesn’t have any impact on my life, I’m not going to fault you for it, whether I agree with it or not.

    I don’t know much about the personal relationship between this bass player and the rest of Arsis, but assuming he was even mildly affiliated with them outside of the just playing their shows, I find it hard to believe that he wasn’t aware of this prior to that night. I also find it hard to believe that, even if he wasn’t aware of their stance on drug use, the rest of the band was not aware of his. I’ve managed to discuss drugs and my opinion of them with almost every person I interact with in my life, and it has always just been in casual conversation. Unless there was literally no communication between the bass player and the rest of the band, I find it very hard to believe this is the full story.

  • http://heavybrutal.com/ familyghost

    they need to get Noah back in the band

  • soy el niño más bonito

    you guys ever smoked weed…. ON WEED?

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jay-See/726690352 Jay See

      I laughed

  • Dan-o

    Hey Noah is taking over the position, just so everyone knows. No lie, absolute truth.

  • yoyoyo

    I wanna meet this anti weed bassist so I can kick his fucking ass.

  • yoyoyo

    NATHANIEL CARTER IS A PUSSY ASS BITCH!!!!!!

  • Tuomas

    HAHA I used to play in a band with Nat (Carter).. He’s a decent guy.. this isn’t quite the story he told me about this.. He never threatened to call the cops.

  • http://Megzamillion Megan

    So, I’ve known Nat for many years (used to date him), and I have to say that this sounds like quite an exaggerated story. First of all, just because you put a short disclaimer of “this is hearsay” on this, you presented it as full-fledged truth. And you people who comment about *why did he join in the first place*….maybe because he’s in it for the MUSIC and not the DRUGS? This is a great guy who I’m lucky to know, so get the whole story. Douchebags.