Arsis Thesis – Ustanak

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · August 24, 2026

Arsis Thesis is a doom metal/ post-hardcore/ experimental noise rock/ punk duo from Houston, Texas. Formed in 2015, the band consists of two brothers, Nick Blevins on guitar and vocals, and Jake Blevins on drums and vocals. The duo released their debut EP called Pangea in 2019 and just recently released their debut full length album called Ustanak on July 31st 2026. It contains six tracks at forty minutes long.

“Heretical Violence” begins Ustanak with a heavy doom stomping of sludgy riffs that cycles into a hardcore menace. The vocals are shouty with the music picking up pace, wreaking havoc on the unconditioned ears. There’s a driving groove that carries the sound right into the second track, “Capricorn”. The head bobbing motion from the riffs are unmistakable. Arsis Thesis are not afraid to shake things up a bit. They incorporate accents, drum fills, and eerie guitar leads also. The vocals incorporate actual singing on parts that accompany the more aggressive vocal style nicely. The band doesn’t cling to one style but transitions between monolithic doom and post punk and hardcore rhythms. It really is impressive and interesting on how effortless these changes happen.

The third song called “Denison” is a heavy and twisted number of progressive rock doused in doom and alternative. Their schizophrenic tones can be catchy at times and switch into something completely different in an instance. The almost ten minute monster of a song is raging and experimentally melodic too. I really dig all of the tone changes and weird patternings to these songs. The off-kilter moments throughout this one are impactful and expressive. “Firebird” is another terrific piece that is also on the longer side, clearing nine minutes. The mellow beginning soon erupts into densely executed riffs that dazzle with monstrous and fuzzy grooves. The vocals are both shouted and sung with a powerful urgency to both styles. The classic rocking guitar harmonies are flavored in with the unrelenting sludge-filled heaviness, utilizing spoken words and other bizarre twists and audio aggressions. The noise rocking components are felt on this track, with atmospheric warmth and grittiness.

On the fifth song, Arsis Thesis features clean guitar tones that soon delves into a riff mountain of heaviness. Entitled “The Sunrise We’ll Never See”, the instrumental track is a great introduction and bridge for the title track “Ustanak”, that closes out the recording. The final cut on this album is indeed another banger! After the slow and mellow start, the song erupts into a circus of post hardcore rage filled with angst and aggression. The hulking riffs and intense vocals have an old school Clutch vibe crossed with the likes of 16. Ustanak is a South Slavic noun (Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian) that means uprising, rebellion, or revolt. It comes from the root word meaning to stand up, and that’s exactly what Arsis Thesis is doing, standing up for the injustice and oppression of our current culture, and beyond. It’s an expressive process of a social structure in need of repair and reform. Arsis Thesis delivers a massive six song debut that is so sonically captivating that makes you wanna keep listening. For only two band members, the brothers fill in a lot of space and create such arresting songs that sound very original and concise.