De Arma is a Swedish Gothic rock band founded in 2009 by guitarist, vocalist, and bass player Andreas Pettersson. After enlisting drummer Johan Marklund, the duo recorded three epic tracks for “Towards the Shores of the End” (Nordvis), a 2011 split with British band Fen. In the very earliest incarnation of De Arma, the founder’s black metal roots shine through quite a bit. But there are also plenty of musical elements present which remain a fixture in the band’s sound today.
Encouraged by the positive response to the split, later that year De Arma not only wrote a full-length record but also began tracking it. Despite retaining a palpable sense of darkness, by now the music had drifted even further – but not entirely – from black metal and into the realms of Gothic rock. After hearing the new material, Frank Allain from Fen joined as the band’s singer. He recorded his vocals during the summer of 2012. With the debut completed, De Arma signed a two-album-deal with German label Trollmusic. “Lost, Alien & Forlorn” was released in February 2013.
With inspiration still raging wild, a follow-up album was composed in its entirety over the months following the debut. Unfortunately, ulterior obligations prevented its completion. Until now. In 2021 – eight years later – De Arma unveiled “Strayed in Shadows” (Trollmusic). The second chapter sees the band explore a wide spectrum of music – from gothic metal to synthwave, even pop music. Cold and heartfelt northern melancholia sweeping in from the borderlands between Fields of the Nephilim, Katatonia, and Anathema. Another change is how, having concluded his lyrics to be far too personal to be performed by anyone else, Andreas himself has taken over the vocals.
