If someone were to ask me what would be the album playing in the background in the hell of an existential crisis, I’d tell them to wait till August 18th and experience the hell of it themselves. ‘Dear Desolation’ is the new record out on it’s way by Australian metal act Thy Art is Murder, and much like almost anything out of Australia, it will try and kill you.

For those unfamiliar with the breakdown maestros, the band has had a fairly young career and received massive publicity after their 2012 album ‘Hate’, creating a frenzy with it’s furious mixture of Deathcore and Death Metal elements which melted everybody’s face off. The band is known for bringing issues to light that are definitely not socially accepted to be spoken about, which was known after their 2015 record ‘Holy War’, and the criticism that came along with it.

Dear Desolation marks a dynamic shift so massive, it is very clear that the band has exponentially outdone themselves. After a brief stint with vocalist issues, CJ MacMahon has returned to the band and sounds far more beastly than ever. The band has taken a step towards their Death metal influences, and much evidently have taken inspiration from Behemoth’s ‘Evangelion’ era, right from Lee Stanton’s shame-inducing drumming (Come on drummers, you know “Reign of Darkness” knocked everybody’s socks off), Andy Marsh putting the eerie in every track with ambient chords and goosebumps worthy solos, to Sean Delander and Kevin Butler maintaining a brutal, consistent and tantalizing rhythm.

The album starts off raw, and ends even rawer, in every way the average human can potentially experience it, musically, lyrically, emotionally and philosophically. The album attacks morality, the nature of religion and death, and the human condition all with an undertone of nihilism.  “Slaves Beyond Death” kicks it off with unforgiving blastbeats and chuggy guitars that deliver ruthlessly throughout the ten track record. “The Son of Misery” and “Death Dealer” are examples of the newly touched dynamics of the band, while the title track of the album  resonates extensively with the classic sound of the band, including breakdowns so nasty they might as well replace the trumpets announcing Satan’s arrival on earth. “The Final Curtain” is how the album concludes, and unlike any other track it is almost purely atmospheric and invokes unfathomable raw emotion which lingers even after the track has ended.

There are very few instances wherein a band tries to evolve from their sound and ends up maturing in a very appreciable manner, and Thy Art is Murder is definitely in that league. Dear Desolation opens up an array of new opportunities and new fans for the bands while still keeping the old ones satisfied.

‘Dear Desolation’ is an explosive punch delivered yet again by Thy Art Is Murder, but decides to take it a notch higher by adding a knucklebuster into the mix right before it hooks your jaw. It is a dynamic record compared to the previous work by the band but has an abundance of the band’s sound regardless. It is a prime example of how modern Death metal sounds and doesn’t cut short anywhere.