Live Review: Thy Art Is Murder, Alpha Wolf, Cursed Earth, Deadlights

Arguably one of the most revered acts in the current Australian extreme music scene Thy Art Is Murder were back in Adelaide after a two year hiatus, yet again solidifying their reputation as a confronting and relentlessly heavy live act. With their hotly anticipated new album Dear Desolation due for release in August and a revived Chris “CJ” McMahon back at the vocal helm, the punters at the sold out Enigma Bar were treated to a night of magnitude with four bands in all obliterating the stage. 

First up was Brisbane’s Deadlights, who have been touring steadily these past few months. Tasked with warming up the crowd before the evenings onslaught, they did this with ease as they launched into a concise and energetic set, Invisible Hands from their recent album Mesma being particularly well received. 

Cursed Earth were on next, bringing their own brand of nihilism with them in a jaw dropping display of musical aggression. Building intensity into explosive moments they blasted their way across the stage with vocalist Jazmine Luders holding the flailing audience captive in a frenzy fuelled by rage. 

Judging by the amount of Alpha Wolf shirts in the audience there were a lot of people eager to see the boys from Melbourne. Taking to the red stage, they wasted no time in generating a monster pit of colliding bodies, their loyal fanbase belting out the lyrics from their acclaimed debut album Mono. 

With the energy in the room at fever pitch it was time for the heavyweights to make their entrance. Thy Art Is Murder infiltrated the stage before unleashing a chilling version of Holy War on the rapturous audience. Wasting little time, they launched into the new track Slaves Beyond Death before delivering a monstrous set of songs such as No Absolution that sent the crowd into overdrive. Having said that, the crowds unified chant for Whore To A Chainsaw came to naught as McMahon took the stance of distancing the band from this piece before divulging his belief in gender equality, respect and zero tolerance for racism. Despite his menacing stage persona his connection to the audience was strong throughout, thanking fans for their support and even posing for selfies mid-set when some punters made it onstage. With a real 'back to the roots' feel and a brilliant array of support acts the Death Sentence tour looks set to become a memorable one.