Lovebites Share New Single – “Holy War”, New Album Incoming


Japanese Power Metal band Lovebites has shared their brand new single, ‘Holy War’, from their upcoming new album, via Metal Insider. Electric Pentagram releases April 24 via Red River Entertainment/BFD, in partnership with JVCKENWOOD Victor Entertainment Group and distributed by The Orchard in North America. Pre-orders have gone live at the link below. Continue reading


CJ McMahon Quits Thy Art Is Murder


Chris "CJ" McMahon of Thy Art Is Murder. Photo Credit: Kevin Estrada.

Chris “CJ” McMahon of Thy Art Is Murder. Photo Credit: Kevin Estrada.com

In a post to Facebook, CJ McMahon has quit his band Thy Art Is Murder. Citing too much time spent away from his fiancee and money woes as the main reasons, McMahon wrote that he “won’t live this way anymore.” The band has announced Nick Arthur of Molotov Solution as their fill in vocalist for their upcoming tour with Parkway Drive. As part of TAIM, McMahon released Holy War (Nuclear Blast) earlier in 2015, toured the world, including this past summer’s Mayhem Festival.

 

With a mix of both negative and positive emotions, I inform you all that I have parted ways with my band Thy Art Is Murder. It has been a wild ride I have travelled to over 40 countries around the world and played alongside some of the worlds biggest and best bands, it brings me great sadness knowing I will never perform again for my amazing and supportive fans, this will be the hardest thing for me to deal with. My reasons for leaving: I spend too much time away from my fiancé , family and friends, touring has taken a massive mental, emotional and physical toll on me. One of the biggest reasons is money, I / we have been broke for years and being 32 years old I can’t live like this anymore. I am getting married next year and plan on having a family, these things cost money, to put the finances into perspective for you I /we have earned between $16k-$18k each over 6-7 years, I feel there is something massively wrong with this, I will not live like this anymore. I’m sorry to my fans that I have to go, I have loved you all and I thank you for believing in me supporting me. The money made from my closing down sale of my clothing label will be going to my wedding, I will also be selling my Northface stage jacket I have worn the last two years on stage via eBay soon to try to pay for my wedding for the people interested, again thank you for the love and support, Your Prince Of Darkness Cj

 

The band offered their own take on CJ’s departure

After much conjecture and ambiguity on his behalf, it is with a heavy heart that we must announce today that CJ is no longer a part of Thy Art Is Murder. We have worked so hard from day one to make this band what it is now, and develop the reputation that we have and he had been there with us every step of the way. We like to think that even if someone doesn’t like our music that they can at least respect our work ethic. This band has taken us to places we never thought we would see and to share stages with many bands we never thought we would get to play with or meet, let alone call friends. It is unfortunate that with our best year to date and our biggest paved out before us that he has decided to leave.

All this being said, touring as hard as we do does take its toll on you physically, but more importantly mentally and emotionally. We are an underground metal band, and have been so fortunate over the last two years to carve out a small income thanks to so many dedicated and generous fans around the world. For some people, it comes to a turning point in their life where that income is no longer enough for their personal goals, and that point has come for CJ. We would like to wish him all our best as he leaves the band and moves onward to start a family and new life with his loving fiancée.

The four of us are continuing forward into 2016 for some of the biggest and best tours of our lives. We won’t be slowing down or missing any shows. We head back out next month with Parkway Drive and Architects throughout Europe and the UK and will be taking one of our favourite vocalists with us, Nick Arthur from Molotov Solution. Thy Art is what we have done with all of our adult lives and we have put absolutely everything we have into the band and the friendship between the four of us. That friendship and drive to create extreme music is what has kept us together through thick and thin. Unfortunately not everyone can share this fire.

Andy, Kevin, Lee and Sean – Thy Art Is Murder

 

After much conjecture and ambiguity on his behalf, it is with a heavy heart that we must announce today that CJ is no…

Posted by Thy Art Is Murder on Monday, December 21, 2015

 

 

thy-art-is-murder_holy-war-cover_H_0415

With a mix of both negative and positive emotions, I inform you all that I have parted ways with my band Thy Art Is…

Posted by CJ McMahon on Monday, December 21, 2015

[amazon asin=B00XC868LM&template=iframe image1]


Video: Anthrax – Evil Twin, New Lyric Video


unnamed (4)

Anthrax has released a new lyric video and single for a brand new song, ‘Evil Twin’. You can watch the lyric video at this link or below:

‘Evil Twin’ comes off of the long-awaited new Anthrax album, coming in early 2016 from Megaforce in North America and Nuclear Blast in the Europe/UK. The track is also available digitally, and can be purchased via Apple Music, iTunes and Amazon.

Charlie Benante comments on the thrashiness of ‘Evil Twin’:

“Yeah, that opening riff is really evil. We had done a lot of touring with Death Angel and Exodus, so I was in a really thrashy state of mind when I starting writing the riffs for that song. I think along with Scott’s lyrics and Frank’s melodies, we came up with a really great, old school thrash metal feel.”

The pointed lyrics of the track denounces the self-righteous religious extremists who spread their bloody terror under the guise of a Holy War.

You represent your discontent

Slaughtering the innocent

Insolence

You’re no martyrs

Scott Ian comments on the lyrics of the track:

“I was very affected by the Charlie Hebdo massacre as I have been with all of the shootings that have taken place at schools and movie theatres. I can’t figure out what would cause someone to think that was the right thing to do. ‘I’ll show the world, I’ll make my God happy.’ It’s just such bullshit. I’m not bagging on religion, that’s not my intent, but people who go to that extreme, who feel they have become judge, jury and executioner over their fellow man because you or I don’t believe the same thing they do, I think that’s the ‘Evil Twin’ of humanity. Writing words about that is my only catharsis.”

Anthrax, photo credit Ignacio Galvez

Anthrax, photo credit Ignacio Galvez

Anthrax remaining tour dates, with Slayer:

Oct 25: Theaters Tilburg- Tilburg, NL**

Oct 26: Zenith Paris, Paris- FR**

Oct 28: La Cooperative De Mai- Clermont-Ferrand, FR

Oct 30: Santana 27- Bilbao, ES**

Oct 31: Coliseum- La Coruna, ES**

Nov 01: La Riviera- Madrid, ES**

Nov 03: Razzmatazz- Barcelona, ES**

Nov 05: Alcatraz- Milano, IT**

Nov 07: Planet.tt Bank Austria Halle Gasometer B- Vienna, AT**

Nov 08: Haus Auersee- Leipzig, DE**

Nov 10: Zenith, die Kulturhalle- Munich, DE**

Nov 12: Columbiahalle- Berlin, DE**

Nov 13: RuhrCongress- Bochum, DE**

Nov 14: MHPArena- Ludwigsburg, DE

Nov 16: Jahrhunderthalle- Frankfurt, DE**

Nov 17: AB Main Hall- Brussels, BE**

Nov 19: Rockhal- Esch Sur Alzette, LU

Nov 21: Newport Centre- Newport, UK**

Nov 22: Plymouth Pavilions- Plymouth, UK**

Nov 24: O2 Apollo Manchester- Manchester, UK**

Nov 25: O2 Academy Glasgow- Glasgow, UK**

Nov 27: O2 Academy Birmingham- Birmingham, UK**

Nov 28: O2 Academy Leeds- Leeds, UK**

Nov 30: O2 Academy Brixton- Brixton, UK**

Dec 03: Kulturvaerflet – Helsinger, DK**

Dec 04:Sentrum Scene – Oslo, NO**

Dec 05: Lisebergshallen- Goteborg, SE**

Dec 09: Stadium Live – Moscow, RU**

** w/ Slayer


Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War


thy-art-is-murder_holy-war-cover_H_0415

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

Thy Art Is Murder on Facebook

CHRIS TIPPELL