HARD NOISE: THY ART IS MURDER // Trigger Warning

THY ART IS MURDER with Emmure, Fit For An Autopsy & Justice for the Damned
170 Russell, Melbourne
Friday February 17, 2018

It’s not a hard fact to comprehend that a sold out 170 Russell and an air conditioning malfunction don’t work well together. The heat has people sweating and the bar lines full from the word go.

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Justice For The Damned don’t take too much of the brunt as they’re on at 8PM and people (us included) have just started to ramp up their after work drinks. The lack of a fully packed room don’t stop the Sydney natives (who seem to be here every month) from trying their best to kick a pit up quick smart. Justice err more on the “assault” side of deathcore, preferring buzzsaw riffs and rapid-fire tings on the ride cymbal than breakdown after breakdown. They’re there of course, but the unsuspecting pit goers have no idea what to do with themselves. No matter, vocalist Bobak Raffiie and co blast their way through the set and crushing cuts like No Flowers On Your Grave see heads nodding. It’s amazing to see an older crowd standing still, when months beforehand the younger all ages crew at Invasion Fest went mental for them.

Justice For The Damned // By Bree Wallace

That being said, returning back downstairs for Fit For An Autopsy sees where the age difference truly lies. The room has filled almost to capacity in the short 20 minutes between sets; bathed in red, it’s an imposing sight for such a small room. Of course the band, being from the arguable deathcore hub of the world, aren’t intimidated at all. How guitarist Will Putney has any time to tour when he’s behind what seems like every heavy record this side of the sun is anyone’s guess, but he’s right at home on the stage for crushing cuts like Heads Will Hang. It’s vocalist Joe Badolato’s first time over here and considering the group’s trouble with finding a solid frontman, he fits in well with the rest on stage. Their latest record The Great Collapse has a strong showing particularly with set closer Black Mammoth.

Fit For An Autopsy // By Bree Wallace

Emmure are unsurprisingly the crowd favourite of the evening because there’s no way something this ridiculous can’t find a niche hardcore following. Polarising as ever, singer Frankie Palmeri contorts around like a white boy just discovering rap music. They’re a serious Attila, which really shouldn’t exist in a just world without some sort of self-awareness. Look At Yourself, their latest record with an entirely new lineup save Palmeri has given the band a new lifeline by throwing it all to the pitting wind. If breakdowns are your thing then Emmure will skyrocket to the top of the favourites list with new setlist bangers like Flag of the Beast. One bloke is crowdsurfing totally upright and punching down as he goes with excitement. The band are fun but boy is it hard to imagine how Palmeri keeps track in the song when it’s literally chug after chug after chug. As a band that relies on such similarity in their tracks, their timing is on point thankfully. Emmure are fucking loud though, and the braap braap of stuttered double kicks is what we imagine a school shooting sounds like; the overwhelming volume and chest rattles must be bursting eardrums.

Emmure // By Bree Wallace

With little fanfare, Thy Art Is Murder launch into Dear Desolation. Crowd darling CJ McMahon jumps onto the front podium to monstrous cheers with his trademark growls thundering out. We said last time they were on their way to world domination. So far Thy Art have easily sold out Melbourne twice over since McMahon’s return and tonight’s venue has packed in an extra 200 people compared to their last show at Max Watt’s. Although the crowd are singing more to their previous Holy War material, their latest record Dear Desolation really has ramped up the battering ram approach. Slaves Beyond Death and Puppet Master blast right into the chest at a frenzied tempo, although Coffin Dragger’s bottoming breakdown still holds the title of heaviest depths the band reach. Holy War’s title track intro sees people genuinely rushing to get to the pit. It’s the easiest of their songs to scream along to so it’s not exactly a surprise crowd surfers are taking this opportunity to get up.

Thy Art Is Murder // By Bree Wallace

McMahon isn’t shit talking at the beginning of the set but as the back half arrives, he’s in fine form. Lamenting the fact he has to go back to “Shitney” tomorrow, his personality is one of the main reasons why such a crushing band have packed this room out. At one point he’s been so distracted by telling us about his shoe collection that he’s forgotten what the next song is. “I talk shit, but I tell it like it is folks and I’ve forgotten the next fucking song,” he grins and lumbers over to check the setlist. Guitarist Andy Marsh laughs and plays along as McMahon wanders back, “Alright this next song is… a secret, I’m not telling you what it is.” By the time we reach Light Bearer it’s exhausting to hear so many double kicks, so there’s no telling what it’s like to be up on stage actually performing for so long. We’re treated to a confetti cannon after the punctuated stop, but it’s Reign of Darkness as the encore that has the crowd screaming the loudest. We keep repeating it, but there are popular mainstream bands that can’t sell out a venue like this and here we are with an interstate deathcore act that has almost every arm up in the air. What McMahon proposes is “the best fucking tour package of 2018, no cunts even gonna be able to touch it” could well be a true prediction.

The final leg of the Thy Art Is Murder Australian Tour is sold out.