Infinite Death - Thy Art Is Murder

Thy Art Is Murder have been on the Australian metal circuit for a while now, and wasted no time releasing this. After a worthwhile yet not impressive demo, they went into the studio to record four new tracks, and a re-record of their anthem Parasitic Autopsy.




The first thing I notice about Infinite Death is the generally crude song titles and lyrics. On the title track, lead singer Brendan screams "I fuck your daughters, hack them up, kill them one by one, the taste of pure slut is all that keeps me here, lock up your doors, lock up your sluts, lock up their cunts", and the anti-christian sentiment of "motherfucker open your eyes, there's no such thing as a God" on I'll Show You God. These lyrics are crude, yet get straight to the point - Thy Art Is Murder have been listening to death metal before you knew what it was.





A lot of this EP is reminisant of Suicide Silence and the ever growing deathcore genre. The standout track on this release is definately Whore To A Chainsaw, with it's angry "bitch your dead" lyrics and competant drumming. This recording isn't perfect, but showcases Sydney's best exports - Skull and Bones made a good choice signing these guys, but they should've waited for more mature material. Fans of blast beats and harmonic screams will be in heaven.

All Up: 4/5

Suicide Season - Bring Me The Horizon

What is there to say about Bring Me The Horizon that hasn't already been said? Sell outs, posers, deadshits. I would've probably tried to prove you wrong until I heard this album.





Bring Me The Horizon have destroyed what little of a good reputation they had left. After a strong debut album, they managed to fuck it up by sending in the sophomore. I have witnessed, and heard of terrible follow ups, but none as bad as this. Suicide Season was always going to be put down, no matter what the sound was. Bring Me The Horizon have thrown away their roots in the strong and growing Deathcore genre for the weak and dying Metalcore. The breakdowns are getting oddly familiar, the screams are turning into yells, and the riffs are turning into power chords.





If I could find some standout tracks on this album, I would write about them, but every song sounds exactly the same. Football Season is Over lends homage to Hunter S. Thompson (Apparently Avenged Sevenfold aren't the only band who rip off one of histories greatest authors) and features guest vocals by JJ Peters of Deez Nuts/IKTPQ fame, and while this is a high point on the album, I find it's also a point that makes it hard for me to stop laughing. The chant on Diamonds Aren't Forever saves the song from metalcore oblivion. Titles like Pray For Plagues and For Stevie Wonders Eyes Only have been traded in for radio friendly titles like Sleep With One Eye Open and The Sadness Will Never End. Think twice before you purchase this album, perhaps getting bittorrent would be a wiser choice for now

All Up: 1.5/5

Stay True - Deez Nuts

JJ Peters is a man of gold. Whether it be on past projects or present, he can make it sell, and Deez Nuts is proof. With just 5 songs, he can tour over bands who've been trying to get signed for years, and this album is just another "Fuck You" to everyone else. While JJ is a beast behind the kit, (and apparently the guitar and bass), theres nothing like hearing a white guy from Aldinga write rhymes that continue to marvel.





On the title track, he informs that he "Makes music for the ones that stay true/for the old and the new/for you and your crew/'cos that's what I fuckin' do", and seemingly the Australian hardcore community appreciates the sentiment. While a lot of the album is similar to his Rep Your Hood EP, JJ shows a new side to Deez Nuts on Damn Right and Fuck The World, caring about the people rather than the partying and chicks, and while he dulges back into the latter on Tonight We're Gonna Party Like There's No Tomorrow and I Hustle Every Day, I find these are actually down points on the album. When he sings "Never let anybody for the way that you live your life...If you X up or you drink stand proud don't let anybody bring you down, at the end of the day you gotta live with yourself, fuck everybody else", I feel dignified knowing that JJ is reaching out to not only a specific part of the hardcore community, but all of them.





But when he rhymes that "Drunk Till Fucking Death, yeah that's our motto", I feel a little less confident. However once again JJ Peters has produced the best rap/hardcore hybrid I've managed to hear so far, and this will be the album that turns a legion of hardcore kids into MC Ren fans. Despite it's obvious flaws, he continues to impress on Stay True.

All Up: 3/5

50 Lions/Down To Nothing Split EP

Down To Nothing and 50 Lions to me seemed like an odd matchup. A wellknown hardcore punk band from Richmond, Virginia with Byron Bay's uprising locals 50 Lions didn't sound too together when listening to earlier releases, but the bands friendship has shown an obvious influence on both bands.





Down to Nothing have abandoned the raw sound that they introduced on Save It For The Birds and continued through with on Splitting Headache for a cleaner studio sound. The sound of their earlier records reminded me of a Minor Threat/Gorilla Biscuits style. Watered Down is a welcome opener with a kick-arse riff and tons of micgrab opportunities. While I don't think that When My World Turns Cold is a adequate representation of this release, I think that Shot Down sums up DTN's three tracks perfectly - they are becoming a band worthy of recognition, with a sound similar to a current Blacklisted or Ceremony. Moving away from a classic sound and gaining what they needed the most - individuality; Down To Nothing are one of my favorite new hardcore bands of the past 5 years.






50 Lions shot straight into the spotlight early for the recognition given to their lead singer, Oscar McCall, for being Winston from Parkway Drives little brother, but what they should've been immidiately called out for is their incredible ability to write hardcore anthems (To The Test, Life In The Dogbox). Their past two records Nowhere To Run and Time Is The Enemy have been two of my favorite Australian releases in years, and they have managed to get my attention on this, yet I'm not quite impressed. While new tracks The Realness, Love and War and Searching are solid tracks with effort from every member, it feels as though it is a Time Is The Enemy Part 2. The songs are less inspired, and Oscars voice sounds withered. Perhaps 50 Lions should take a break from touring and begin to plan before recording.

All in all this is a strong release from two of the best bands out and has managed to keep me hooked for the 11 or so minutes it runs for. Hopefully it's not long before we hear more new tracks from both bands.

Down to Nothing: 3.5/5
50 Lions: 2.5/5
All Up: 4/5

My Life In Music

I've always been a huge fan of music, from when I was younger and my mother would play me bands that she'd listened to at the age I was (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bowie) to when I was ten and became part of the pop-punk movement (Simple Plan, My Chemical Romance), and now, when hardcore and metal rule my musical tastes. That's not to say that I limit myself to those two, depending on my mood you could catch me listening to Mos Def, Radiohead or Public Enemy. While my walls are adorned with Parkway Drive and I Killed The Prom Queen posters, I always have a soft spot for different music styles and try to listen before I judge