ALBUM REVIEW: Godlike – Thy Art Is Murder

There has been a shift recently within deathcore where a new age of bands are starting to break through and make waves within the scene. It’s almost as if there’s a second coming of blast beats and brutality. Its first wave, featuring the likes of SUICIDE SILENCE, WHITECHAPEL and DESPISED ICON, created a huge buzz and birthed many acts looking to incorporate the sound. The new wave arguably started with bands like THY ART IS MURDER, and while people might find it hard to disagree that they are the biggest deathcore band going today, they have had their heels nipped by some immense talent as of late. Can their latest album Godlike act as a statement to the up-and-comers, that the daddies of deathcore aren’t ready to be dethroned? 

There’s a brooding build to the opener, Destroyer Of Dreams, with vocalist CJ McMahon snarling over the guitars before inevitably it comes crashing down with a colossal weight. It’s a slamming statement of intent and a great way to introduce the album. With Blood Throne and Keres, listeners can hear the first stabs at the big arena-sized anthems that the band have dipped their toes in over the last few albums. Blood Throne especially grooves with a pendulum-like swing and a huge vocal chant that would suit the live setting perfectly. The “and so they rot!” call to mosh will no doubt unleash furious pit action.  

Join Me In Armageddon’s guitar work is brilliant as it shreds through the track, dancing around the bark of the vocals. McMahon‘s vocals have always been solid, if not slightly indecipherable, but  his trademark style is on point throughout. He also throws in a few slight variations in delivery which works well in his favour. The drumming is your standard deathcore fare but serves its purpose well. There’s obviously talent on show here but it’s all very ‘by the numbers’. The beatdowns become stale after a time, especially as there hasn’t been much variation between albums. 

The second half of the album is where things really shake-up. Godlike hits you without warning, reminiscent of New Gods from their Human Target album, while Corrosion harkens back to some of their early work but features some eerily commanding vocal work that penetrates through the seismic swirl of guitars.  

Anathema and Bermuda, the last two tracks on the album, showcase some of the most interesting work from the band to date. They both have a menacing feel to them and sound different to the previous tracks. They are still headbang-worthy, but they feel like the band have found a real fire in their bellies and decided to spice things up. They both are as heavy as you’d expect from the band but there’s a lot more atmosphere given to the tracks. Bermuda especially is a haunting number that doesn’t let loose until about halfway through and it’s all the better for it. It gives the listener a chance to soak in everything that is going on. Unfortunately, the track (and album) is over just as it felt like it was getting truly interesting. 

Godlike doesn’t live up to its title, but it is yet another strong dose of deathcore from the Australian veterans. There are some change-ups within their sound and it’s great to see the band try something a little different here and there but at the end of the day it struggles to hang with the fresh blood in the scene.  

Rating: 7/10

Godlike is set for release on September 22nd via Human Warfare.

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