Thy Art Is Murder, “Godlike EU/UK Tour 2023” Review

THY ART IS MURDER have now initiated their tour; “Godlike EU/UK Tour 2023” which I had the pleasure to catch on their sold out show in Stockholm, which I must say were divine (pun intented).

There have been loads of information flowing recently on social media before and after the release of the bands sixth studio album Godlike. Mostly regarding their replacement of former singer CJ McMahon with Tyler Miller (Aversions Crown) who have are now performing with the band on the current tour and is also the vocals on all digital versions of Godlike. Physical copies such as CD and Vinyl is however still with CJ McMahon‘s vocal recordings.

I’ve been very excited for this concert for a long time since I started listening to the early singles of the album. I didn’t call myself a fan with their earlier work, that did however change with the new album which featured a more “brutal” tune. Not that their earlier work were not “brutal”, but still, this album had a whole new sound which were more to my liking. Even better were that they brought with them 3 other big titans within the deathcore genre, such as WHITECHAPEL which have been one of the heaviest act I’ve ever heard of back in 2008. So needless to say, this concert and tour were really anticipated.

But I must admit that I were really surprised by some of the bands performing this evening. One notable were the first band called SPITE which actually blew me away with how much energy they generated right at the start. I’ve been to hundreds of concerts and festivals, but I’ve never seen a opening act going out on stage with such force that made the whole venue start jumping, moshing and even crowd surfing. Listening to all of the bands beforehand, I didn’t expect this stage presence these guys came with. Extraordinary done lads!

This concert surely climbed up to be one of the best I’ve been to this last half of the year. Words can’t express how great all of the bands performed, but I will surely do my best in my comments below regarding each band. Looking forward catching each of these bands next time they drop by!

What: Godlike EU/UK Tour 2023
Where: Stockholm, Fryshuset Klubben
When: 4/10-23
Rating: 9/10

Check out the photo gallery and performances below:

SPITE (Deathcore/Hardcore)

SPITE surely made an impression on me, I didn’t see their stage performance coming. Maybe I didn’t look them up hard enough before the concert, but I sure is happy I didn’t. They were a very pleasant surprise and made the whole crowd go insane within the first ten minutes of the concert. For those who are big fans of hardcore punk and deathcore; check these guys out and don’t miss them live if you get a chance to catch them in a venue close to you! Sadly, I couldn’t find much information about them online.

Best performance: ‘Caved In’
Rating: 9/10
SPITE is:
Unknown

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY (Deathcore)

“The crushing music of FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY is for any fan of extreme metal, as it’s devoid of preachy politics or grandstanding soapboxing, but its sound and fury is absolutely unflinching on purpose. The band expertly blends excessive-force fueled death metal with atmospheric groove and impassioned personal diatribes, reflecting back the dark state of current events.”
– Nuclear Blast Records

I have sure heard of FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY for a long time now, but I can’t say I’ve been a fan. Mostly because deathcore genre isn’t usually something that appeals to me, with some exceptions. I find their music heavy for sure, but usually a bit plain without any particular songs that get stuck. Anyhow, these guys put on a great show and surely know how to get the crowd going. I mean I got to admit, you can’t have a big deathcore tour without these guys. They are titans within the genre, and that is something you can’t disagree with. Not even me.

Best performance: ‘Pandora’
Rating: 8/10
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY is:
Joe Badolato – Vocals
Will Putney – Guitar
Patrick Sheridan – Guitar
Tim Howley – Guitar
Peter Spinazola – Bass
Josean Orta – Drums

WHITECHAPEL (Deathcore)

“At this stage in the game, the name WHITECHAPEL commands respect. Already sitting on one of the most enviable catalogs in contemporary metal, in 2019 they dropped The Valley, showcasing a confident evolution in their sound and standing as a true landmark release that sets a new standard for the genre.”
– Metal Blade Records

Phil Bozeman sure knows how to keep him and his band relevant after more than 15 years of making music. With the 2 latest albums we see a big change in their way of making music and invites us to a dark story telling which explores Phil‘s childhood traumas. So the music is still good, but how is their stage performance? Even better. WHITECHAPEL showed the venue how brutal their music can still be after this long time, and that opening with ‘I Will Find You’ smoothly transitioning into ‘Bloodsoaked Symphony’ were just spectacular. Rest assured, my back will take some time healing after all that moshing that hit me all the way to the front of the stage. I found this performance, which was amazingly synced and performed with the best possible setlist, to be just perfect for me and I will be very anxious catching them live as soon as possible.

Best performance: ‘Bloodsoaked Symphony’
Rating: 10/10
WHITECHAPEL is:
Phil Bozeman – Vocals
Ben Savage – Guitar
Alex Wade – Guitar
Zach Householder – Guitar
Gabe Crisp – Bass
Brandon Zackey – Drums

THY ART IS MURDER (Deathcore)

“Australia’s most brutally alarming cultural export since George Miller’s Mad Max franchise makes music that serves as a loud last gasp against the ever-encroaching void. It’s a blazing light of nihilistic despondency before the final darkness. Fusing authentic crushing death metal with blackened fury and flashes of knuckle-dragging stomp, THY ART IS MURDER exorcise the pangs of mortality and the pains of socio-political trauma.”
– Nuclear Blast Records

THY ART IS MURDER closed down the night with a show that blew me away. Tyler Miller did such a amazing job performing all of the tracks with utter brutality and aggressiveness, perfectly synced together with the rest of the band. I’ve never seen one as possessed with madness in their expression as I did with Tyler, bringing that extra spice to the show. Although I was really eager hearing my favorite tracks such as ‘Keres’ or ‘Destroyer of Dreams’, I must admit that with Tyler‘s performance I found a new favorite with ‘Join Me In Armageddon’ which blew me away. Definitely a show to remember and most likely my favorite show of the last 6 months.

Best performance: ‘Join Me In Armageddon’
Rating: 9/10
THY ART IS MURDER is:
Tyler Miller – Vocals
Andy Marsh – Lead guitar
Sean Delander – Rhythm guitar
Jesse Beahler – Drums
Kevin Butler – Bass

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