Thy Art Is Murder“We want to be bigger than the big dogs… We want to change metal,” Thy Art Is Murder proclaimed to this scribe circa 2015's Holy War.
Several years on, the bile-spitting, chart-bothering Aussie death metallers’ ascension has continued. Aided by another crushing Will Putney production job, album number five Human Target is a record that largely continues, rather than reinvents, what the band is all about. However, the enjoyable results shouldn’t detract from their upward mobility within the heavy music ranks.
The cheesy-titled Make America Hate Again will transform any venue into a whirlwind of limbs and grins, and New Gods is a blistering standout. While cuts like the title track channel their blasts and beatdowns deathcore of yore, such a descriptor no longer solely defines them. Drawing from previously mined sources, such as Behemoth’s blackened fury and Decapitated’s technical proficiency, Human Target will be familiar to their dedicated audience but nonetheless packs a brutally satisfying sonic gut-punch. Lee Stanton's distinctive drumming is missed somewhat, although new sticksman Jesse Beahler injects tangible groove and technical sensibilities.
Over the course of several LPs, Thy Art Is Murder have honed their material in such a way as to streamline the group's vision. This ensures Human Target hits its mark.
