Album Review: Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation (Nuclear Blast)

Thy Art Is Murder are back! Back with original vocalist C.J. McMahon to drop the follow up to the excellent Holy War (you can read our review here). Dear Desolation is out now via Nuclear Blast.

Dear Desolation is a statement of intent, a statement that Thy Art Is Murder are ready to take over the world with 10 tracks of face-ripping brutality. There are few surprises here, it’s just 38 minutes of pure fury opening with the intense Slaves Beyond Death.

McMahon sounds more pissed off then he has ever before & the band are playing out of their absolute skins. Its vomit-inducingly heavy with drum beats that are hard enough to crack the earth. An absolute mind-shattering start.

The Son of Misery continues the heaviness but adds a few more layers with thumping groove, a warping guitar solo & a level of catchiness that is unexpected.

One of the most impressive things about Dear Desolation is the urgency felt in every track. Thy Art want to get their message & their anger out as quickly as they can in impressive style. Puppet Master & its killer breakdown, the crushing beat of Dear Desolation (that drumming!), the non-stop aggression of Man is the Enemy & the fire that grows & grows throughout The Skin of the Serpent.
Track after track of hard hitting deathcore metal.

There are a few forgettable moments though. Death Dealer makes little impact while Fire in the Sky is uninspired, both fitting nice enough on the album but not going to make any top Thy Art is Murder song lists anytime soon.

The album wraps up strongly with the groove heavy Into Chaos We Climb, a track that is as Thy Art is Murder as you can get & the skull crushing finale of The Final Curtain. Both great songs to end a damn fine album that makes you glad Thy Art is Murder are back on track.

Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation Full Track Listing:

1. Slaves Beyond Death
2. The Son of Misery
3. Puppet Master
4. Dear Desolation
5. Death Dealer
6. Man is the Enemy
7. The Skin of the Serpent
8. Fire in the Sky
9. Into Chaos We Climb
10. The Final Curtain

Dear Desolation is out now. You can pick it up via Nuclear Blast here & via all major streaming services including Apple Music below. Find out more about Thy Art is Murder on their website here, over on Facebook & Twitter.