Thy Art Is Murder, Gravemind, Heartline, Freedom Of Fear @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 13/12/2019
Insane is the word that best describes Thy Art Is Murder. It’s been an insane year touring America on the successful Human Target tour. They’ve just announced an insane in-depth European tour and it’s all on the back of an insane work ethic and album. Oh, they are back in Adelaide to deliver an insane performance appropriately on Friday the thirteenth.
Opening tonight is our own Freedom Of Fear, a genre bending metal rapture of sounds. Lead into battle by vocalist Jade Monserrat who commitment to performance is outstanding as she lurches and convulses across the stage. Opening is always tough however Freedom Of Fear’s riffs pull everyone in closer, winning over the audience the same way you would a wild animal who needed food. By the end of the set everyone is fully nourished.
Heartline are working on an upward trajectory now, with a new single Crystal Eyes out next week. Fresh from supporting Windwaker, they take the Lion Arts stage confidently and get the packed room nodding along accordingly. They are one of the new breed of Australian artists who have taken Northlane’s lead and evolved it further, combining melodies with guttural vocals and breakdowns to an audience clearly appreciative.
Gravemind venture over the border fresh from their spot on Good Things festival and an upcoming tour with Northlane. Their brutally heaving riffs get the circle pits in a frenzy with tracks Lifelike which is a tsunami of chaos. Vocalist Dylan Gillies-Parsons commands your attention, barking and growling while the band shudder the stage with riff after pounding riff.
Tonight is Thy Art Is Murder’s show, a behemoth of a band that have left venues destroyed in their wake and tonight is no exception. Wall to wall, space is at a premium and when the opening blast hits from Death Squad Anthem, It’s about strapping in and going along for the ride. The Purest Strain Of Hate has crowd surfers in their dozens begin the crowds assault back and it doesn’t let up all night.
Vocalist CJ McMahon has become the cult hero to many as he leads the baying hordes of crowd-goers into one meaty song after another as pits, walls of deaths and sides of humour are delivered up.
Fur And Claw, Human Target and New Gods, its all here and more as the sonic explosion of the band shreds your face off and there is no escape from it as the venue sounds system is wired up in each room to make sure you don’t miss a note. If you’ve never seen Thy Art Is Murder, prepare for, naturally, an insane crowd watching an insane show from an insane band.
Live Review By Iain McCallum