A congregation of metal aficionados bore witness to a night of unadulterated sonic ferocity as Thy Art Is Murder laid waste to Montreal’s Olympia stage on April 11th. The evening developed as a brutal, expertly executed demonstration of the genre’s punishing potential, with support from fellow deathcore acts AngelMaker, Signs of the Swarm and Snuffed on Sight.
Snuffed on Sight got the crowd moving early with their slam/hardcore-influenced take on the genre before Signs of the Swarm‘s guttural assault took things up a notch, leaving little room for respite.
AngelMaker were last in Montreal, opening for Lorna Shore in 2022 and, based on tonight’s performance, could be back as headliners next time around. The double-vocal assault, mixed with their technical prowess and unrelenting energy, served as a formidable precursor to the headliner.
But tonight was all about the main act, and Thy Art Is Murder delivered a performance that justified their place at the top of the deathcore ladder. The band, under Tyler Miller’s commanding presence, wasted no time in establishing their dominance by launching into a relentless barrage of crushing tracks from their most recent opus, “Godlike.”
Their setlist was a carefully curated exploration of sonic devastation. Tracks like “Death Squad Anthem” ignited mosh pits with their relentless drumming and chugging riffs, while the unsettling atmosphere of “Holy War” showcased the band’s ability to weave moments of chilling melody into their sonic assault. Each song was delivered with a precision honed by years of touring, a testament to their position as veterans of the deathcore scene.
A particular highlight was “Bermuda,” with its eerie soundscapes and crushing breakdowns creating a moment of unsettling beauty amidst the sonic carnage. Throughout the set, the band, mostly backlit silhouettes for much of their time on stage, exhibited a tight cohesion, a well-oiled machine churning out meticulously crafted brutality.
Admittedly, the relentless aggression, while undeniably impressive, occasionally lacked nuance. The set leaned heavily on established crowd-pleasers, offering little in the way of surprises for longtime fans.
Despite this, Thy Art Is Murder delivered an undeniably effective performance. The raw energy onstage was infectious, and the crowd responded with a fervour that transformed the Olympia into a churning mass of bodies. It was a masterclass in the art of deathcore, a genre that, although sometimes a little one-dimensional, thrives on its ability to evoke primal emotions through sheer sonic force.
As the last strains of “Puppet Master” faded away, a charged atmosphere remained, infused with the lingering energy of Thy Art Is Murder’s commanding presence on stage. Their performance was a testament to the band’s profound influence in the realm of heavy music.
Thy Art Is Murder Setlist
- Destroyer of Dreams
- Slaves Beyond Death
- Death Squad Anthem
- Make America Hate Again
- Blood Throne
- Join Me in Armageddon
- Bermuda
- Human Target
- Holy War
- The Purest Strain of Hate
- Godlike
- Keres
- Everything Unwanted
Encore: - Reign of Darkness
- Puppet Master
