Bootleg: “Homo Sapiens” from Arsames!

Returning to an important moment in their history, Iranian Heavy Metal act Arsames have shared a rendition of “Homo Sapiens” from a time when they were putting their lives on the line for their art. They were forced into exile after imprisonment in their country but refused to put down their instruments, spreading Persian Metal across the globe.

The band comment: “This performance was recorded during an underground concert in 2012 — a time when playing metal music in Iran meant operating in secrecy.

We rehearsed in a hidden, basement practice room, far from public eyes and ears, in an isolated and unnoticed place. The conditions were harsh, the risks were real, and nothing about the process was easy. But despite all of that, we kept going.

What you hear and see here is the result of pure passion — our way of expressing love, belief, and dedication to the music that defined who we were. Metal was not just a genre for us; it was a form of resistance, identity, and survival.

This song, Homo Sapiens, is a significant part of our band’s history, and also a fragment of the underground metal movement in Iran — a scene built on sacrifice, courage, and unwavering commitment to art. This is where we came from”