Simon Rushworth
Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War (Nuclear Blast)
Genre: Death Metal
New breed death metal acts like Thy Art Is Murder often come in for stick from old schoolers who believe the genre starts and ends with Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness or Entombed’s Left Hand Path. And yes, the chugging beatdowns can become a little annoying (and clichéd). However, Thy Art Is Murder are keeping the DM scene fresh – and with Holy War, their third album, the Aussies have honed their songcraft considerably.
The outright brutality that made their 2012 breakthrough, Hate, such a hit is still here, but the quintet have imbued their music with a more thoughtful, multi-layered approach: Light Bearer a good example, Emptiness another. And in full flow, their attack on the senses (and lyrically, the evils brought out by religious indoctrination) is virtually unstoppable, with tracks like Coffin Dragger blasting everything in their sights.
Swiftly becoming Australia’s biggest extreme metal export, Thy Art Is Murder deserve their success. Richard Holmes
RUSHONROCK RATED: 7.5/10 Art Of War