Thy Art Is Murder brought their relentless, bone-crushing deathcore machine to a packed and sweat-soaked Academy last night, and Dublin was battered into submission. The atmosphere was pure, unadulterated aggression from the moment the house lights dropped.
After the stage lit up like a teenage disco in the 90s and the Vengaboys started playing, the crowd were dancing and singing along (I assume ironically, but you never know with metal heads), but the moment the lights dimmed again and the band walked out, their opening chords exploded through the venue’s speakers, the pot boiled over.
The Australian deathcore titans delivered a setlist that spanned their formidable catalogue, with a strong focus on their recent, critically acclaimed material from Godlike. Tracks like “Keres” and “Blood Throne” were delivered with precision and sheer sonic brutality, with the breakdowns hitting like a catastrophic earthquake, instantly transforming the floor into a vortex of limbs and flying hair.
Vocalist Tyler Miller was a commanding presence, his gutturals and high-pitched screams tearing through the mix with terrifying power. The band’s instrumental prowess was equally staggering the drumming was a relentless barrage of blast beats and double bass, and the guitar work was a masterclass in blackened death metal riffing and colossal, suffocating atmosphere.
Fan favourites like “Holy War” and “Reign of Darkness” were met with the loudest roars of the night, turning the venue into a mass singalong (or perhaps, a mass scream-along) that perfectly encapsulated the cult-like devotion of their fanbase.
The sound mix was insanely tight, ensuring every crushing riff and punishing beat was felt in the chest cavity (not to mention the drums, which felt more like a Gatling gun blasting at you with what sounded like a lot more than just a double bass pedal). Their light show was also fantastic and clearly a lot of thought and effort was put into it, which you don’t see very often with bands like this.
Thy Art Is Murder proved once again why they are at the very pinnacle of modern extreme metal. Last night’s performance was a devastating display of power, technicality, and uncompromising heaviness. If you like your music brutal, loud, and executed with lethal precision, this was an unforgettable night. The Academy hasn’t seen a pit that violent in a long time.
Thy Art Is Murder photos & set-list:
Set-list:
Blood Throne
Join Me in Armageddon
Death Squad Anthem
Make America Hate Again
Holy War
Fur and Claw
Slaves Beyond Death
The Purest Strain of Hate
Destroyer of Dreams
Godlike
Keres
Puppet Master
Photos & Words – David McEneaney @experimentzero