History & Biography Himsa was born into the Seattle, Washington music scene in 1998. The band’s monicker reportedly translates to 'making war and inflicting violence' in Sanskrit, which is one of the ancient languages of India. A debut EP courtesy of Revelation Records was self-titled in 1999 before the crossover metalcore band signed with Prosthetic Records. The band and label cooperated for three full-length albums. The founding bassist, Derek Harn, guitarist Aaron Edge and Brian Johnson were former Trial members. At first Mike Green was the man on drums. Edge would depart and the band would drift into a more metallic sound. Keyboardist and backing guitarist Clay Layton would nonetheless join. Also new was straightedge singer John Pettibone and drummer Tim Mullen. Pettibone was originally asked to be the band’s singer, but had refused being on the verge of moving to New York. Pettibone’s debut with the band was the Death Is Infinite EP. Sammi Curr would be replaced by Matt Wicklund in 2002. Curr would return for 2007’s Century Media debut. Tours with As I Lay Dying, Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall would follow including 2004’s Headbangers Ball III tour with Cradle Of Filth and others. Matt Wicklund would later join Prey with former Cradle Of Filthers Martin Powell and James McIlroy. Wicklund would later claim lack of album credit on Hail Horror (which was his last record with the band) and royalty and money disputes with the band.
Himsa signed with Century Media in the autumn of 2006 and issued Summon In Thunder a year later. Tue Madsen and Strapping Young Lad were billed as producers. An American tour with Amon Amarth and Sonic Syndicate followed. The band toured Europe in February and March 2008. Joe Frothingham replaced Chad Davis who had been the band’s drummer between 2003 and 2007. Nevertheless, the band threw in the towel claiming an inability to tour extensively as before as a reason. The band performed a last show near home on August 16th, 2008. Joe Frothingham soon joined Seattle’s doom band Witchburn.
Inevitably, the band returned in 2017.
Reviews HIMSA - SUMMON IN THUNDER - CENTURY MEDIA 
Do you like Hatesphere, God Forbid or Shadows Fall? Then the new Himsa is for you. The band has apparently discarded all its metalcore past with singer John Pettibone being the only remaining member with a hardcore sound. Even he makes sure he varies his voice enough to not be labelled one-dimensional. Summon In Thunder is thrash with buckets of melody with each song dutifully dividing time between a heavy assault and copious melody. Reinventing The Noose, which is the lead song, is a perfect example with both first-rate melody and a super fast guitar attack. Skinwalkers could be an Arch Enemy song. Unleash Carnage is titled so for a reason. It is a brutally fast song that takes only two minutes to launch every volley possible. The band has lost drummer Chad Davis recently, which is too bad because he is probably the best thing on the whole album. His sound, strength and precise beats are fantastic in their own right and the launching pad for the group’s songs.
Himsa is now almost completely metal so don’t mention the word metalcore anymore. Century Media certainly won’t. - Anna Tergel
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