If you’re looking for a prime example of hard graft getting results and the deserved attention that follows then Aussie deathcore kingpins Thy Art Is Murder a definite contender. Near relentless touring following the, at the time, low key release of second full length Hate slowly generated the hype machine ever faster and faster, bringing with it fans, and of course, haters alike. Thankfully, unlike many who have become the latest trend, these guys have more than earned those accolades- and their latest album Holy War (both UNFD/Nuclear Blast) lives up to the ever higher expectations.
Holy War doesn’t deviate from their sound by any means, and nor has any of their material as such, but these aren’t guys that you expect mind-bending Prog oddities or revolutionary steps from; just straight forward but exciting deathcore done to its best. That being said this is certainly the most intense that they have sounded in their career, and there is an added sense of atmosphere which creates a noticeable but not overpowering, brooding aura.
Vocalist Chris “CJ” McMahon especially has stepped up a gear, sounding convincingly venomous and irate, combined with quite simply the strongest set of songs the band has written to date. Despite their formulaic nature of sheer pace coupled with breakdowns; which plenty have done countless times before, these are very memorable from the start and are so powerful, and tailor made for the live scenario more than anything.
There will be plenty of naysayers who dismiss this album purely because of the deathcore tagline (because deathcore is clearly “not metal”). Others may argue that it is fairly predictable in nature which is perhaps a just argument, but Thy Art Is Murder aren’t here to reinvent the wheel, only to make fun-but-in-your-face metal, and in that sense they have once again hit the bullseye.
8.0/10
CHRIS TIPPELL