Review: Thy Art is Murder - Holy War
By Eric Perzanowski, Staff Writer
[Nuclear Blast; 2015]
Rating: 4/5
Key Tracks: “Fur and Claw,” “Coffin Dragger,” “Light Bearer”
There is no denying the rise in popularity that Thy Art Is Murder has seen in the past two or three years. Hate was an album that cemented Thy Art Is Murder as a band on the top of the modern deathcore scene. In the nearly three years since its release, fans have been clamoring to hear what this group will do next.
Holy War is the much-anticipated follow-up to Hate. This album deals with the atrocities of organized religion, and poses as the band’s “war on racism, homophobia, child abuse, animal cruelty and all evil born of religious immunity, indoctrination and ignorance,” according to guitarist Andy Marsh. The incendiary tendencies in the group’s music and lyrics go hand-in-hand with the controversial and sacred religious themes. The result is a confronting work of art that will likely spark controversy and conversation.
While many residual elements from Hate remain, Thy Art Is Murder shows a continued growth and maturation on Holy War. This progression is one that shouldn’t divide supporters of the band. The sound stays true to its core heaviness, but expands upon it. A variety of death metal influences appear in greater amounts; for instance, “Absolute Genocide” begins in a manner reminiscent of Behemoth. The sludgy, chugging riffing on “Coffin Dragger” reminds one of Gojira.
As a whole, Holy War is a sonic battle zone teeming with hard-hitting and gripping material. Between the machine gun-like chugging and the abyssal lows of vocalist Chris McMahon, this album is a dark, unrelenting listen.
“Fur and Claw,” one of this album’s highlights, is an apocalyptic call dealing with the fleeing of “fur and claw” and a man-made wasteland. The misanthropic line “burn in the body bag human parasite” is shouted throughout, and is the focal point of an all-out ferocious breakdown.
One area of growth shown on Holy War is consistent songwriting. On previous albums, there would be several tracks that just kind of fell into the background. This occurs much less frequently now. Each song has its distinct moments or qualities that make it stand out; the looming, dreadful atmosphere of “Absolute Genocide” and the frantic riffing at the beginning of “Violent Reckoning” are two prime examples.
The improved songwriting is also shown in the building of songs. Unlike the nonstop whirlwind of Hate, at times the band takes a step back, allowing the “heavy moments” to arise organically, making them all the more impactful once they arrive.
“Coffin Dragger” features a brief cameo by Parkway Drive vocalist Winston McCall. Despite the lighter, melodic sections featuring McCall, this track as a whole is one of the heaviest on the album. The breakdown and hook feature some of the most resoundingly guttural vocals from McMahon during his time with the group.
Holy War is an album that undoubtedly had plenty of exorbitant expectations set by the success of Hate; these expectations are largely met. The songwriting is notably more consistent, and despite branching out and incorporating more death metal influences, the band stays true to its core sound. Holy War will likely end up being of the most notable releases of the summer.
