• Charlotte Claber

LOUDER LIVE: Thy Art Is Murder slay Electric Brixton

With such a ferocious lineup, there’s no excuse for Electric Brixton not to be a sell out and the bands biggest show in the UK, Thy Art Is Murder are back with a vengence and alongside them they bring I Am, Rivers Of Nihil, Fit For An Autopsy and Carnifex. Returning to the UK after the release of their latest album ‘Human Target’, Thy Art Is Murder bring the heat to their live show.

Kicking off the night is always difficult, adding more pressure with a rocky entrance and a slow build I Am strive to warm the crowd up. Texas Death slowly rings in with front man Andrew Hileman leaping on stage and bouncing around. A frontman full of infectious energy, the bands hard hitting bass line slowly works its way through the room and has the crowd opening pits by the time Sacred Cried rings in. Powering through a tough set the room starts to build and the band finishes to a loud cheer. One step closer to the headliners, Rivers Of Nihil take the stage, with their multi-genre inspired death metal the set grabs the crowd's attention and silences from the word go. A short and sweet set that focuses predominantly on the bands 2018 release Where Owls Know My Name the band keep true to themselves and proceed to power through 30 minutes of heavy riffs and cutting vocals.

Fit For An Autopsy storm the stage with their presence and the cutting opening of The Sea of Tragic Beasts. A set that has been highly anticipated, the pit really starts to move with crowd surfers flying over and security struggling to keep up. Focusing on the power of their tracks the band plunge through and firmly remind the crowd who they are and what they’ve come to do. Carnifex storm the stage with backdrops right down to the outfits they take to the stage in, representing their latest album World War X. An album that signifies the bands individual battles and their growth since the release of Slow Death.Vocalist Scott Ian Lewis cuts through the anticipated roar of the crowd with his sound of power, World War X runs into Slow Death and the band have the room spinning. Smoke fills the stage and there’s a mysterious atmosphere swilling the room, more tracks come quick and fast and suddenly they’re saying goodbye. With the attitude in the room, the set could’ve been a headliner but with one more band to go the night is far from over.

Disco lights kick in and the vengaboys ring through ears, an unlikely open to a brutal thrashing set that is to come the spirits are lifted and everyone rejoices in the moment of calm that embraces before Thy Art Is Murder penetrate the joy with their brisk beats and snarling vocals. Death Squad Anthem serves as the opener and reminds the crowd of what a phenomenal live band they are. Their caustic energy creates a power throughout the sold out venue that pushes fans to scream louder and pit harder than ever before, like a cult leader CJ McMahon has the room bouncing left to right rejoicing in the harsh screams that solidify the bands set. Tracks like New Gods are shouted back with spite, the truth of the real world rings true for many. Holy War reflects on indoctrination of the young, with visuals to match. This tour shows the bands growth as artists and musicians with the music and stage presence reflecting that. A real might from the band shines through and they solidify their name in metal.