ALBUM REVIEW: Everyone’s A Murderer – To The Grave

When you think of Australian deathcore, your mind probably goes to bands like THY ART IS MURDER, A NIGHT IN TEXAS, or maybe even the earlier material of PARKWAY DRIVE. But a new band that is leading the charge from down under are the relentless beings known as TO THE GRAVE.

After unleashing their powerful debut album back in 2019 by the name of Global Warning, the Aussies have been unstoppable since. Now on their fourth album, they have more venom than ever as Dane Evans’ vicious vocals cut deep from start to finish. Where most deathcore bands focus their lyrics on anything from violence to self-preservation, TO THE GRAVE are different. 

They’ve always been a vegan band, but on their previous album Director’s Cuts they headed more into the world of activism and highlighting animal rights issues. They’ve doubled down on this on Everyone’s A Murderer, with Evans’ intense demonic squeals resembling that of an animal in a slaughterhouse. They aren’t shy to face the issue and bring it to you head on. Album opener Set Yourself On Fire (In Public) hits hard as drummer Rangi Barnes keeps pace with breakneck blast beats and takes down buildings with his obnoxiously pulsating snare drum. From the opening they have you in their grips, guitarists Jack Simoni and the newly-appointed Nic Webb ripping you apart riff after riff. 

Even where they take a gentler approach on instrumental Gas Chamber P.T. the band in unison are a force to be reckoned with. After that small break you’re greeted with the undeniable neck snapper Made In Aus which has bassist Matt Clarke pounding through the speakers as Evans hits low notes so violent you’d think he was being slaughtered himself. It must also be said that this album is mixed perfectly and not a single note is buried and not one thing drowns out another. In fact, for a deathcore record it’s crystal clear, despite the volatile nature of the music. 

TO THE GRAVE are far from being generic deathcore band. They wanted to shake thing up while in the studio to create more crowd interaction in a live setting and they grasp that and do it expertly here. Everyone’s A Murderer incorporates death metal, as showcased on DxE Or Die (which includes a mosh call out with their own name), and even touches on hardcore territory on Eight Four One Six, which includes a guest appearance from Sophie Wilcher whose clean vocals stand in contrast to the brutal hammering from the rest of the album and fits in beautifully as they are layered with Evans’ abrasive growls to create a magically immersive experience toward the end of the track. 

TO THE GRAVE have upped the ante on Everyone’s A Murderer by pushing the boundaries of deathcore to the very edge and beyond, staking a solid claim for being the heaviest and possibly the best Aussie band to have released anything in the past five years.

Rating: 8/10

Everyone’s A Murderer is set for release on August 30th via Unique Leader Records.

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