De Arma was founded in 2009 by guitarist, vocalist, and bass player Andreas Pettersson. After enlisting drummer Johan Marklund, the duo recorded three 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 shone through quite a bit. But there were also plenty of musical elements present which remain a fixture in the band’s sound today. Later that year, encouraged by the positive response to the split, De Arma not only wrote a fulllength record but also began tracking it. Despite retaining a palpable sense of darkness, the music had now drifted even further from black metal and into the realms of gothic rock. “Lost, Alien & Forlorn” (Trollmusic) 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 delayed its completion until 2021, when De Arma unveiled “Strayed in Shadows” (Trollmusic). The second chapter saw the band explore a wide spectrum of music – from gothic metal to synthwave, even pop music – all boiled down into their unique brand of cold and heartfelt northern melancholia. Then, to round off an already eventful year, De Arma entered a multi-album collaboration with Swedish label Silent Future Recordings.