Thy Art is Murder @ The Garage, Glasgow (27th January 2020)

with: Carnifex, Fit For An Autopsy, Rivers of Nihil and I AM

Hosted by: Triple G

As part of the touring cycle for last year's album Human Target (review here), the Aussie deathcore beasts Thy Art is Murder found themselves playing the rather impressively sized Garage main room in Glasgow as part of their UK and EU tour. Bringing along an equally impressive supporting cast of bands with them, it was certainly going to be one hell of a show that was rolling into town that night. I was already considering going to this show just because of how much I enjoyed Thy Art's last album, but the later addition of Rivers of Nihil alongside the other bands meant that this gig became an absolute must.

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WORDS: Ross Donald

So, as the rather early door time of 5:30 rolled around, there was 5 bands on the bill and a 10pm curfew so there was absolutely no time to hang around. Setting the tone for the rest of the evening, I AM got a half an hour slot to blast through.

But you know what I’m getting sick of? Opening bands that try so hard to get a pit going. Good on the Dallas five-piece for having that kind of energy, don’t get me wrong. But when clearly the smaller crowd is just happy to stand and watch and save their energy for a night featuring four other bands, then maybe just let your music speak for itself rather than have me cringe at a lack of audience reaction. Okay, rant over...

Thankfully this was the other real issue I had and aside from that I did actually enjoy the opening set (as short as it was with six or seven songs being played). I AM had a solid base for their sound with their mix of a thrash and deathcore making for some headbang worthy moments. Playing what appears to mostly be material from their 2018 album Hard 2 Kill, the band started the night on an energetic note to really get the blood pumping. 

I AM are still early into their music career, but from the effort showed from this performance (botched pit attempt notwithstanding), they have a promising future ahead of them if they continue on this level. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

Up next were one of the bands I have been wanting to make a Glasgow appearance the most. Although Rivers of Nihil were similarly victimised by a criminally short set time which meant that they could only play five songs, they absolutely and completely lived up to the high expectations I had for them live. 

Showcasing their increasingly progressive flourishes, the majority of this set came from 2018's stunning album Where Owls Know My Name (review here). The pummelling blasts of 'Old Nothing' and 2015's 'Sand Baptism' ramped up the technical energy, while the more proggy offerings of 'A Home' and 'Death is Real' shared more similarities with bands like Opeth than the world of deathcore; especially in the live environment. The crystal clear yet crushingly heavy tones coming from the intricate guitars and drums were just so impressive throughout, and displayed the band's virtuosity perfectly. 

With so much of a killer foundation in place, it takes a special vocalist to make their presence known. And that Jake Dieffenbach certainly did. Glaring out to the audience with his body completely rigid, Dieffenbach was as commanding visually as he was musically. In similar fashion to bands like Gojira and Behemoth, the man's guttural low end growls were insanely powerful in the live environment yet always retained control and precision throughout. 

I can honestly say that- other than harbouring an unreasonable desire for the band to bring an actual saxophone player rather than use a backing track- Rivers of Nihil were nothing short of ingeniously flawless during their set. Perhaps even too much for this particular gig. 

And that brings the only real gripe I had with their set. The crowd of this particular gig barely knew what to make of them as they were very much the odd band out on this deathcore focused lineup. Clearly requiring something that settles into more steady musical passages to throw down to, the confused attempts from a few members of the crowd to start a pit resembled a lame game of tag more than anything else. As with the previous band, perhaps it was best for Rivers of Nihil to not try and make a bigger pit happen that night as this was just... "no".

Maybe come back to Glasgow for a first headline show and we can make things right then? Technically incredible musicianship, a killer live performance to match, and the chance for some live saxophone prog death metal? Get on it, people.

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WORDS: Ross Donald

After Rivers of Nihil pretty much stole the show, it was time for a band I was personally very much looking forward to: Fit For an Autopsy. The latest release, The Sea of Tragic Beasts, from the New Jersey deathcore upstarts was one of my favourite records from last year (review here), and I couldn’t wait to hear some cuts from it played live. 

Sadly due to the rather strict and pesky time constraints, we were only treated to five tracks and another half hour slot from the band. Fit For an Autopsy made damn sure to make all five songs count though. I made sure to stand right at the front for the absolute onslaught of their particular deathcore sound that turned me into a fan of the genre, but the whole crowd around me was practically in a frenzy from beginning to end. 

From the title track to the gorgeously dark and brutal ‘Mirrors’ to the band ending with the massive ‘Black Mammoth’, there was almost no chance for a breather between each gargantuan track. A great performance from a band that will certainly go onto bigger and better things in future. 

Fit For an Autopsy are certainly a band to keep your eye on if you're into deathcore at all.

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WORDS: Ross Donald

Following on from this blinding performance, it was then rather strange for me to then watch the San Diego fan favourites Carnifex take to the stage. I’d gone from not caring about the band or their set at all after I found their recent release World War X to be pretty damn boring (as can be seen in the review here). In fact, the album itself almost turned me off from the deathcore genre completely. 

Around month or so before the gig though, I decided to go back and check out the band's older material. I’m bloody glad I did, as there’s some major gold in here. God knows what's happened with them on the latest release when tracks like ‘Drown Me in Blood’ exist...

Annoyingly as the band came on, I’d lost my place at the front to look at merch for FFAA, so I ended up almost at the very back of the room with a bad view. Therefore, I sadly didn’t have the best experience I could have had. In saying that, I still did enjoy the set as the songs really spoke for themselves. Thankfully they only played the title track from the latest album, which is probably the best track on there anyway, and the rest of the set was dedicated to their classics. Weirdly, I did think that the band would have at least 40 minutes as they were the main support band, but their set only lasted a half hour with seven tracks played once again. 

Featuring tracks like ‘Hatred and Slaughter’ and the aforementioned ‘Drown Me in Blood’, the set never really slowed down as the pits continued to rage on throughout the performance. ‘Lie to my Face’ was a set highlight, as it’s an absolute banger of a track with some of the band's heavier moments featuring prominently. ‘Hell Chose Me’ was a pretty perfect set closer as it allowed the audience to sing along to the band's final performance of the evening. 

Whilst I wish I had a better view, I still had a blast listening to these guys and they’re definitely worth checking out. Except for the latest album. Stick with the old stuff...

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

After a stacked bill of quickfire action from the previous four bands, it would then be over to Thy Art is Murder to really up the ante once more.

Of course, it wouldn't be typical of an Aussie band to not inject a bit of fun to their show though. As the crowd quickly flooded into the venue again after Carnifex's set, they would be treated* (*insert air quotes to suit here) to the sounds of cheesy danceable 80s pop and early 2000s Ibiza club tunes. Thankfully to some though, it wasn't long at all until these songs were replaced with rather more heavy riffage. 

Storming onto the stage and immediately launching into last year's rip-roaring 'Death Squad Anthem', it was clear that Thy Art is Murder were in for the kill that night. Impressing even more in the live environment than on record, there was a level of intensity and speed from the entire band that felt like a kick in the teeth and got a huge section of the crowd moving at the same time. Feeding from this, the band onstage were able to tap into a great energy that could appear untamed but also retain the elements of clarity that is very much needed in such brutal music. 

And sonically, the entire band were on absolute top form. Special credit has to of course go out to vocalist CJ McMahon, who was the central force of the 5-piece which the rest of the band would bounce around and intertwine with masterfully. Much like with the case of the equally as heavy Black Dahlia Murder however, there was a sense of dark fun which seeped into the band's delivery. This was perhaps shown best (alongside the presence of a Jonathan Davis'-esque skeleton mic stand) in the follow up 'Make America Hate Again'- an apologetically groovy stomper of a track which showcases the band's ability to move outside of the narrow boundaries of modern deathcore. As would be further shown throughout the show, the less restrictive nature of Thy Art is Murder's brand of technically minded extreme music would allow for some incredibly satisfying moments throughout. 

And an impressive amount of these more varied and enjoyable moments would come from last year's album. 'Human Target''s more dirgy, low end take on the genre, alongside some of McMahon's most impressive death growls were as reminiscent of the likes of Cannibal Corpse as they were of more threatening Knocked Loose material. And this was as good live as it sounds. Absolutely white-hot. Add in some more killer grooves and some slightly gentler moments, and you then had 'Eternal Suffering'- a furious circle-pit starting song if there ever was one. 

And talking of circle pits. The crowd- who were already going crazy for the band- would kick into another gear as the band unleashed some of their older material in amongst these newer picks. 2017's 'Dear Desolation' was infinitely improved in the live environment over its rather tinny recorded form, and gave the crowd some shuddering breakdowns and shredding lead guitar lines to mosh along to. 

Moving even further back in time, 'Fur and Claw' (from 2015's Holy War) and its more breakdown-heavy structure was made to sound earth shatteringly heavy due to the band's awesomely brutal yet precise guitar tone. Then showcasing Thy Art's particular ability to craft great musical moments in such extreme territories, 'Holy War' was a barrage of memorable drum fills, soaring guitar leads and a percussive-yet-catchy vocal hook in the chorus. 

Picking up the speed once more to really get the circle pit and fans of the band's more scorching material moving, the run of Human Target's 'New Gods' into Dear Desolation's 'The Son of Misery' and 'Puppet Master' showed that the new material could rip along as fast and as furiously as any of Thy Art's fastest songs. For me, these songs lost a little bit of their intensity when placed back to back though, and it did seem that the crowd was starting to slow up a bit after an album's worth of moshing. 

Nearing the end of the incredibly intense set, it was then a smart move for Thy Art to pull out 'Reign of Darkness'. Opening with the ominous slow burn of the dissonant guitar chords, it allowed the crowd to get a slight breather (and to open the pit to its largest size of the night) before all hell broke loose in the song's verse. Proving why this song is the band's most famous to date, it featured every single element that makes Thy Art is Murder stand out above pretty much every other deathcore band together in one song. The live intensity of the band's sound only emphasised how impressive it was. Mad that a song could be so insanely heavy, technical and fast while still retaining those earworm vocals, drums and riffs that bounce from being melodic and groovy; all the while sounding as cohesive and consistent as it does. 

I'll admit that as this particular high point of the night finished and the band quickly went off stage, it did feel like the end of the set, so I decided to beat the traffic out and head outside the room to sit and wait for this gig's fellow reviewer. Little did I, or the people who had the same idea as myself, know that the band would then launch into Human Target's final track 'Chemical Christ'. Showing off the band's belief and confidence in their new material, the slightly more restrained and slower track- in parts anyway- displayed a sense of melancholy that could be used to reflect the general themes of songs played that night more generally. 

Even though there was always a sense that Thy Art is Murder and the crowd had a large amount of fun and enjoyed every single moment, there was a clear final message left to the audience. The dire state of the world in its "self destruction"  and "addiction to emptiness" left to the crowd to ponder things a little bit more. Maybe this thought was emphasised by me sitting outside rather than seeing the carnage unfold in the venue though. Maybe not... Either way, it sounded intense and poignant as hell from where I was listening. 

And as the set did actually end this time around with McMahon thanking the crowd, it only became clear just how mental this gig had been. The vast majority of people poured out of the room looking about as sweaty and done in as you can aim to be at a gig. Ever. Only solidifying my impressions of Thy Art is Murder being one of the truly interesting and distinctive deathcore bands there is at the moment, this gig also made me think that the Sydney ragers are one of the best live metal bands in the game at the moment. High praise indeed considering metal's in such a good place at the moment. 

If you're into heavy music and this band have not been on your radar, you definitely need to change that right now. Check out the video below if you need any more convincing on that part. 

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Thanks to Ross for helping out with this review of Thy Art is Murder at The Garage in Glasgow and thanks to you for checking out this review! Feel free to leave a comment below or you can help support RWEI by giving us a like/follow on the socials. As always, we're open to submissions and/or contributions from bands and writers in Glasgow and beyond so give us an email or message if you're interested. 

Cheers!