Album Review: Thy Art Is Murder - Holy War

From the brutal end breakdown in Light Bearer to the funky fresh riffing and solo in the title track, or the ridiculous drum speed on Absolute Genocide, above it all CJ McMahon’s voice is cavernous and vastly encompassing, sounding ape-shit over the fresh breakdown that accentuates the song Coffin Dragger.

Holy War shows Thy Art Is Murder moving away from their origins – at least in terms of composition – and amping up the comparisons available to grindcore and black metal. They’ve grown into the role of a forceful and impressive heavy metal band, without the potential stereotypical connotations implicit in being shoehorned into sub genres. Fur And Claw is a manic track, and densely satisfying, combining a strong and driving intro, again with the sassy groove, powering along with seriously quick blast beats, creating a tag team with following track Deliver Us To Evil.

Immersing yourself in the album, its power grows on you as ominously as the slow pull of quicksand. Violent Reckoning is a brazen death metal track where the riffing changes focus from blunt breakdowns to a faster and more intricate lead work. Production on the record is really tight too. Child Of Sorrow has a real European feel at times, and you can tell that Thy Art’s penchant for touring has had a profound effect on the writing on this album. Ultimately, Holy War sees Thy Art Is Murder epitomising their intentions and opening themselves up to a more mature audience. You’ll want to turn the record back over.