Thy Art Is Murder

Thy Art Is Murder ascended the ranks of extreme metal's top tier bands with a meteoric underground rise as explosive as humankind's seemingly inevitable descent into doom and death. With their new album, Godlike, Australia's most harrowingly brutal export since George Miller's Mad Max franchise invites audiences worldwide to join them in a fresh Armageddon. The sixth explosive album in the band's arsenal, Godlike cements Thy Art Is Murder as death metal's modern torchbearers. A soundtrack to a divisive post-modern dystopia, Godlike sees Thy Art Is Murder explore new depths and dynamics without sacrificing an ounce of intensity or urgency the band have staked their career on.

Judas Priest

THE NEW ALBUM. INVINCIBLE SHIELD. OUT NOW.

Lamb of God

OMENS | New Album Out Now.
Listen/Order at https://lamb-of-god.lnk.to/omens

In Flames

New Album “Foregone” out now! Order here: https://inflames.bfan.link/foregone-newalbum.fbi

Avatar

Strange times call for a strange band. With a life long commitment to the misfit arts, Avatar delves deep into the collective subconscious. They travel beyond the realms of flesh and far past the spiritual barriers broken in past works. No matter how many times they were warned, they keep treading deeper into the woods. There is sense to be made out of the senseless. They lay a soft gaze upon terrifying, almost shapeless inner landscapes, and they have a damn good time doing it.

Fit for an Autopsy

THE NOTHING THAT IS, out October 25, 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records & Human Warfare (Australia/NZ). Pre-order and pre-save: https://geni.us/the-nothing-that-is

Vengaboys

At times the Vengaboys come across like a cartoonish theatrical collective rather than an enterprising music group; however, pure entertainment has always been their core objective and you would be kidding yourself by downplaying this. Their zany/colorfully lit antics play just a crucial role as their pulsating dance tunes.

Signs of the Swarm

Deathcore was once dismissed as a trend, so it’s ironic that it now has trends within itself. Downtempo, slamming and now blackened variants of the style have dominated its scene at various points, with many bands jumping ship.

Pittsburgh’s Signs of the Swarm aren’t just any band, though. They’re a once-a-generation beacon that radiates the sounds that surrounded them, preserving history by reframing it. On fourth LP Absolvere, they’re bleak without being blackened, smashing without being slam, and downtempo as a choice rather than a stylistic confine. And as many of their deathcore peers experiment with adding singing, often gruff in tone, they add a more ethereal style that soothes on “Dreaming Desecration” and “Death Whistle.”

The band contrasts that with some of the most brutal moments in their eight-year career, with riffs more punishing than pensive and a rhythm section that frames them in creatively cacophonic ways. Above it all, they’re utilizing vocalist David Simonich monstrous range in a much fuller capacity than on his debut, 2019’s Vital Deprivation.

That transitional album found the band experimenting to re-find their footing, which here lands on solid ground through the addition of guitarist Jeff Russo, a former bandmate of Simonich’s fin Improvidence. The proof is in the placing, with Absolvere landing at #15 on “Current Hard Music Albums,” #21 on “Top New Artist Albums” and #139 on “Heatseekers.”

Behind the cohesive crusher is drummer-turned-bassist-turned-drummer Bobby Crow, who acted as de facto producer, arranging the riffs written across Skype to make the songs more than the sum of their parts.

This gave Simonich a lofty platform from which to roar about the real (loved ones struggling with addiction, submitting one’s self wholly to art despite negativity swirling about) and the surreal; he or his characters beg for the release of death only to be denied. “Nameless” centers around a character collecting souls marked by death to receive its blessing, while “Blood Seal” follows a ritual to summon it. “Dreaming Desecration” and “Hollow Prison” are two sides of the same coin. When one finds themselves trapped in a meaningless existence, they can either attempt to escape through murderous hallucinations or succumb to the grave, respectively.

“Death Whistle” is the penultimate song, closing the album and the writing sessions for Absolvere with a tale concluding in sweet release. The piercing screech of the titular whistle contrasts with a subtle serenade.

Indeed, sometimes contrast can be a perfect complement, but more often that effect is achieved when paired with something more in-line. So it is when Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent) and Alex Erian (Despised Icon) join the band for growls and shouts, where Signs of the Swarm filter their guests’ bands through their own sound. Instead of taking away from their identity, it expands it.

They’re steadily expanding their global reach, too. In the few short months since Absolvere’s release, Signs of the Swarm have toured with the likes of Fit for an Autopsy, Born of Osiris and Shadow of Intent. Forthcoming domination campaigns of Europe and Australia will be added to their tenure with Aborted, Lorna Shore, Brand of Sacrifice and more. Forget the signs, the swarm is already here, and it’s growing larger and louder every day.

Thy Art Is Murder

Performers