Another sold out night in Southampton’s sweatiest venue,
this time it was modern deathcore pioneers Thy Art Is Murder’s turn to decimate
the local crowd.
Aegaeon – Whilst managing to look like the merch guy is an
admirable feat on stage, Aegeon’s blend of brutal deathcore tends to fall on
its face. Don’t get me wrong, all the elements of a decent live band are here,
but it never really goes anywhere, rather it seems that Aegaeon were playing a
little too safe tonight. The barrier between audience and band seems to grow to
a great distance and it leaves a few of the paying punters to wonder just why they
got here early. A redeeming factor is that there isn’t a musical note wrong,
stylistically it seems to be all there it just needs that extra push. (5)
Aversions Crown – Even if their alien influenced brand of
deathcore seems rather hit and miss on record, Aversions Crown’s live show is
something else. The trifecta of guitars are used to great effect as crowd
pleaser ‘Overseer’ is deployed as the second track in. However it is set closer
‘Hollow Planet’ that really sends the crowd into a frenzy of punches and
relentless moshing. Clearly on the cusp of something big, the next Aversions
Crown release should be waited for with baited breath (8)
Heart Of A Coward – The somewhat home-grown heroes of this
tour, Heart Of A Coward waste no time in getting down to business. Whipping the
crowd up into a frenzy is no issue for frontman Jamie who manages to hold them
in the palm of his hand for the entire set. Sing along favourite ‘Shade’ brings
cries of Suffer…..bitch, all the way from the back to the front. Sounding
almost like a djent band on record, HOAC seem so much heavier live, but it is
crystal clear brutality as the sound is clearly working in their favour
tonight. (9)
Thy Art Is Murder – It is a proof to the power of the
internet that this band has travelled over to our shores for this tour. The
Infinite Death EP brought many new fans into the genre and many people have
been waiting for the chance to see them live. The simple thing is that TIAM
just do not do a bad live show. Frontman CJ manages to look demonic before a
single note is even struck and even takes a little moment to dedicate ‘Vile
Creations’ to those at the bar trying to pick up women. With a commanding stage
presence TIAM ran through the choice cuts from 2012’s Hate, even managing to
take a quick detour through the aforementioned Infinite Death EP. As the last
strains of ‘Reign Of Darkness’ fade away, it is a clear statement that TAIM are
here to stay (9)
Words by Jack Webb
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