Review Summary: More like Practice Target
At the beginning of ‘21st Century Death Squad Anthem’, Thy Art is Murder sing “you wanted this war, now you’ll f***ing regret it”, perfectly capturing the essence of a record that makes the recent surge of violence in modern society its focal point. From a band who’s always worn their political views on their sleeves and made of abrasive music their signature style, it is all to be expected if not embraced. Guess what though, the Australian deathcore heralds prove they’d make horrible snipers in a war as Human Target is a lousy sprayer that misses the target (almost) entirely.
The few times Human Target does hit the target, it doesn’t just hit the bull’s eye, it completely obliterates it. The record’s few highlights very much succeed in delivering the band’s brand of bone-crushing grooves and breakdowns that typically leave no prisoners in moshpits across tours and festivals. The Aussies have been livening up pits for quite a while now and this new album (the first with drummer Jesse Beahler and third with Will Putney of Fit for An Autopsy fame as record engineer) shows a band extremely comfortable with their own sound and the niche it occupies in the extreme metal realm. There’s nothing in the way of any sign of slowing down, of wanting to branch out of the genre’s dogmatic standards, as this record is uncompromisingly Thy Art is Murder’s and ferocious at that. The band’s ferocity, fronted by CJ’s signature singing style (a brutal mix of growls and screams), has always magnificently gone hand-in-hand with the dystopian and apocalyptic narration of their albums, and Human Target precisely follows in the same wretched path of its predecessors.
Opener and title track ‘Human Target’ is a prime example of how skilfully Thy Art is Murder move within the boundaries of their own “sound”. The song is groovy, filthy, and textured, welcoming us into the record with a chanted intro before exploding into blast beats and menacing riffs that transport us directly onto a battlefield. This sonic assault organically flows into a solo, which hurriedly leads us to the closing breakdown where CJ once more reminds us the theme that holds the record together. “Everyone is a f***ing target, kill to survive” he threatens, howling over buzz-saw guitars and syncopated palm-muted tempos that call back to the song’s ritualistic intro. Human Target is in essence, denouncing the everyday violence that holds us all hostage, as much as it is denouncing the collective violence against the planet that holds us all accountable.
The record’s most triumphant chapter, ‘Eye for an Eye’, sees CJ sing “as we destroy ourselves in endless cycles, a patient killer awaits reprisal” perfectly capturing once more everything that the band stands for and against. The patient killer, namely Mother Earth, figuratively takes her revenge on her ungrateful sons by killing them off like parasites. The song’s the perfect centrepiece to this poignant social critique, a relentless marching anthem slowly building into an ominous hymn to destruction, climaxing in the record’s heaviest and hardest-hitting breakdown. On this track, Jesse Beahler deserves special praise. As the band’s new metronome he already sounds as hard-hitting and clinical as his predecessor, and Human Target if possible, hits even harder and faster than the band’s previous efforts. Jesse skilfully manages to sound more organic on here, masterfully displaying his speed and pedal technique. The drum fills leading up to the breakdown are some of the most original I have heard in metal recently and a perfect example of how this band can write engaging and aggressive songs when they focus.
Except on this newer record, Thy Art is Murder seem to have lost a bit in the way of writing focused music, and instead rely on an all-too-predictable formula to dish out repetitive, albeit lavish, dime-a-dozen mosh-starters. After drawing first blood, Human Target draws back the sword in fear, rolling in a quick succession of unremarkable tracks that stretch the line between “signature sound” and “I’ve heard this before but better” excruciatingly thin. ‘New Gods’, tries to puff up the record with its marching drums and pounding chorus but ultimately sounds deflated. ‘Eternal Suffering’ sounds like a washed out version of ‘Naked and Cold’ (from the album Holy War), and ‘21st Century Death Squad Anthem’ is possibly the most blatant and shameless example of how Thy Art is Murder are not only running out of ideas, but are even starting to rip themselves off on Human Target. The intro riff sounds strikingly similar (read: basically identical) to that of ‘Dear Desolation’, with the end result sounding half as convincing as its source of inspiration. We’re only a handful of songs in, yet Human Target already shows a worrisome, if not offensive, lack of creative ideas and compelling writing, and a band just target practicing really.
Case in point, ‘Make America Hate Again’, one of the record’s leading singles, where CJ presents us with some of his laziest lyrics to date verging on the risible. It is shocking that a lyricist that has proven himself brilliant time and time again can’t come up with better lyrics than these:
“I’m done with pacifism
You can’t debate with demons
Burn down the house that betrays us
I want blood
I want chaos
More chaos
Let’s make America hate again”
These lines are from the album’s leading single, not a 2-minute filler on a 22-track collaboration project, and their biggest flaw doesn’t fall on how simplistic they are, but how uninspired and trite they read. Because if there’s anything that sums up Human Target is exactly that: it’s unremarkable. In wanting to play by the rules, Thy Art is Murder fall victim to their own game, and deliver a record that sounds great, but doesn’t make for a great listen. It may come as surprising that the best songs of the record are tightly packed in the album’s second half (usually not the band’s strong suit), after the leading singles have left the unknowing victim feeling bored more than under threat.
The latter half of the album fortunately sounds tighter and more inspired with ‘Welcome Oblivion’, ‘Voyeurs to Death’, and ‘Eye for an Eye’ bringing a record that so far had completely missed its target back on track. Still, by the time we reach the album’s closing moments we can’t shake off the feeling that it was somewhat ham-fistedly put together. Although overall not a bad closer, ‘Chemical Christ’ is again another example of a band sticking a little too tight to their comfort zone. The song ends the record on a somewhat atmospheric note with its moody outro, yet Thy Art is Murder manage to somehow squeeze two breakdowns in the opening two minutes of the song, again, leaving us to wonder whether having a little more ideas thrown into this record would have helped it hit its target.
And ultimately the answer is yes as Human Target’s biggest flaw is that it’s a fun listen but not a memorable listen. In its quick half-hour runtime this record flows effortlessly but without leaving an impact, a mark, a bruise. The intensity is there, the breakdowns are definitely there, all orchestrated in the typical Thy Art is Murder’s fashion. Any of these 10 songs will slay at summer shows, but the end result is just too sluggish, too derivative, too predictable to be acceptable, let alone entertaining. Those wishing for a little more experimentation, a little more risk will ultimately leave disappointed, as Human Target shows a band barely doing what it does best with little in the way of any variety at all. When it works, the album is menacing and really explodes in the listener’s ears, but when it doesn’t Human Target implodes under its own weight and sounds flat, dull, and ultimately forgetful. And unfortunately for Thy Art is Murder (and everyone who loves this band, including me of course) the latter happens a little too often on this record. It might be time for our favourite Aussie festival outfit to hold their breath and really focus, and next time they’ll hit the target for sure.
3.2/5
0.2 extra points for the sick cover art. I’m enamoured with it
Favourite Tracks: Eye for an Eye, Human Target, Welcome Oblivion
Least Favourite Tracks: Make America Hate Again, New Gods
