Australia’s biggest heavy music exports Thy Art Is Murder are about to wrap up their national tour with Parkway Drive before heading straight back out on their own headline tour. Having recently dropped their latest LP Holy War which debuted at #7 on the ARIA charts, the band has embraced the controversy surrounding the release, publishing uncensored artwork and standing strong behind their choice. Guitarist Andy Marsh talks us through the album.
The cover for Holy War has copped a fair bit of controversy regarding its covert art. Were you prepared for such a reaction and why was it important to release the uncensored cover?
Is it controversial that children in the Middle East are frequently strapped with explosives and used for harm? If it’s happened once, it is too frequent an occurrence for this lifetime. Too many people shy away from the harsh brutality of what the indoctrinated man is capable of; if you find this image controversial then perhaps you might do some soul searching on your chosen faith as well. One shouldn’t start something if they’re not prepared to finish it. We’ve always had the ideas and dialogue ready to tackle any intelligent discussion or debate on the matters we have illuminated on our record. Controversy hopefully can be the catalyst for education and change.
Animal rights feature pretty heavily on the track “Fur and Claw”, which looks at things in a bit of a new light. Why did you decide to focus on animals killing themselves rather than human acts of cruelty?
There’s a very sombre mood to suicide, that life might have given your comrade so hard a time he chose to take his own life. It automatically generates ideas and emotions of anger, despair and ultimately compassionate pity. The animals killing themselves en masse gives the song a theme it could not have received otherwise. Wiping animals out as we are doing, that’s sinister action founded on greed and misdirection. Suicide is just soul crushing, that we as a entity on this planet could be hated so much by our housemates they’d rather kill themselves than endure our company.
Your appreciation for Behemoth really stands out, at the beginning of “Light Bearer” specifically. What is it about their style that resonates with you the most?
Intellect meets brutality and emotion. We are big fans of music that can evoke a feeling and mood, but often that music isn’t very in your face and heavy. Behemoth are amazing at capturing that synergy in just the right way and it is that ethos that inspires us.
You’ve been on the road with Parkway Drive before which would’ve made for some interesting times. What’s the best thing about touring with PWD and one thing people may not know about them?
They’re just super easy going guys and a great live band. There’s not much more to them than that as far as we are aware, what you see on the DVD is what you get from them. Dudes who surf and play music.
What kick started the idea to feature Winston on “Coffin Dragger”?
The lyrics and mood of the section just sounded like parkway and as we were listening back to the days work on the tune we just had all been thinking it. Eventually someone spoke up, we all agreed and asked CJ to reach out to him on instagram to see if he would do it and thankfully he agreed.
Why do you think your take on extreme metal has resonated with so many people around the world?
I think people can feel that it is real, that the music we create is for us and controlled by us, that we are angry and that we have something to say that is real to us. Hopefully they connect with that.
Considering the US got to see CJ in a bikini, what’s Australia in for this time around?
You and I both do not want to know, it’s always better to see what he surprises you with. We never know what he’s up to.
—
THY ART IS MURDER – HOLY WAR TOUR
With special guests: Aversions Crown, Feed Her To The Sharks & Colossvs
Wednesday, 14th October – Amplifier, Perth (18+)
Thursday, 15th October – Fowlers Live, Adelaide (Lic/AA)
Friday, 16th October – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (18+)
Saturday, 17th October – The Factory, Sydney (Lic/AA)
Sunday, 18th October – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane (18+)
Grab your tickets HERE.
———-
