Arkaza, a progressive metal band based in Richmond, Virginia, began as a concept in 2008 when Curtis Lewis and Brandon Barnes began practicing out of an old garage. Curtis had been reinventing himself as a guitarist after contemplating those albums that initially inspired him to play. Driven by his instincts, he was able to develop melodies that could dynamically merge with a heavier sound. Between 2008 and 2014, the project experienced its fair share of growing pains, which included finding studio spaces to practice, locating musicians, and mastering the skill demanded of the band’s vision. The single thing that always remained constant is the writing style and the group’s desire to become career musicians. In time, Arkaza reached its turning point when Ralston Mims agreed to join in February of 2014. Several drummers had auditioned over the years and none could keep up with the intricate timing and precision that the content required. With Ralston on the team, the band began writing more material and was finally able to consider the creation of a first album. The next addition to the team successfully filled a void in the way that only the right bass player could. Zach Morton was new to learning bass but faithfully arrived to every practice armed with a passion for the music and became an exceptional bassist rather quickly. After Zach writes the common bass line of the songs, he spends the rest of his time removing the commonplace notes and brings out a unique intonation. However, the band still felt the need for a lead guitarist and so the search began. It took some trials to find a good fit, but eventually, Rendell Gary, a good friend of Ralston's, auditioned and added a dimension to the music that the band didn’t realize was achievable that early in the project. Rendell was in tune with what the material needed, and his ability to not only write, but adapt to existing material blew the band members away. In late 2020 Caleb Brooks was recruited to cover vocals. This was the final step in building the foundation of what would become Arkaza’s first album "The Seven Year Plan" which is now available everywhere. There is great anticipation to see where this band will take their sound. For that, only the future can tell.