Himsa was a thrash metal-influenced metalcore group from Seattle, Washington.
The name of the band is inspired by the Sanskrit linga term “Ahimsa“, which means “non-violence“, from which by removing the initial A you get “Himsa“, meaning “kill” or “harm“.
The band was formed in 1998 and the following year released a self titled EP, later followed by an album called Ground Breaking Ceremony, both under Revelation Records.
In 2001 Himsa released another EP – Death is Infinite – and moved to Prosthetic Records.
In 2003 the second LP entitled Counting Tragedy and Disaster was released, following which the band embarked on a long tour in the United States and other parts of the world. Half of 2005 was spent in Denmark for the recording of the third album that came out the following year with the title Hail Horror.
After a tour in Australia in November 2006 with Parkway Drive and Cry Murder, the band signed a contract with Century Media, the label under which Summon In Thunder, a new studio album was released on September 18, 2007.
On 21 June 2008 the group, through bassist Derek Harn, announced the dissolution.
I took pictures of Himsa on December 03, 2004 at Shaw Conference Center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where they opened for Bleeding Through, Arch Enemy and Cradle of Filth:
