Dear Desolation
| Dear Desolation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 August 2017 | |||
| Genre | Blackened death metal | |||
| Length | 38:17 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Will Putney | |||
| Thy Art Is Murder chronology | ||||
| ||||
Dear Desolation is the fourth studio album by Australian deathcore band Thy Art Is Murder. The album was released on 18 August 2017 by Nuclear Blast.[1] It is vocalist CJ McMahon's first album with Thy Art Is Murder since his reunion with the band in January 2017.
Background
Following the release of their third full-length album Holy War in 2015, vocalist Chris “CJ” McMahon left the band. In January 2017, the band announced McMahon's return to the band and released the stand-alone single 'No Absolution' (a B-side from the Holy War recording sessions) as part of the announcement. McMahon stated that he had cleaned up his issues with cocaine dependence and cannabis use disorder and had also married. As a result, Dear Desolation is McMahon's first album with Thy Art Is Murder since his departure in late 2015.[2]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Exclaim! | 9/10[3] |
| Metal Hammer |    [4] |
| Metal Injection | 7/10[5] |
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Exclaim! described the album as "the band's strongest album to date",[3] and noted the band's stylistic growth in moving away from deathcore towards a sound similar to blackened death metal[6] and traditional death metal inspired by bands like Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse.[3] Metal Hammer praised McMahon's vocal performance, and wrote that though the album is "short on the penetrative hooks that Holy War possessed in abundance, Into Chaos We Climb and The Final Curtain's seismic jolts and haunting leads leave an indelible mark for deathcore disciples to latch onto."[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slaves Beyond Death" | 3:44 |
| 2. | "The Son of Misery" | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Puppet Master" | 3:15 |
| 4. | "Dear Desolation" | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Death Dealer" | 4:08 |
| 6. | "Man Is the Enemy" | 3:28 |
| 7. | "The Skin of the Serpent" | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Fire in the Sky" | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Into Chaos We Climb" | 4:05 |
| 10. | "The Final Curtain" | 3:50 |
Personnel
Thy Art Is Murder
- Chris "CJ" McMahon – vocals
- Andy Marsh – lead guitar
- Sean Delander – rhythm guitar
- Kevin Butler – bass
- Lee Stanton – drums
Production
- Eliran Kantor – artwork
- Will Putney – mixing, mastering, production, engineering
- Randy LeBeouf – additional engineering
- Steve Seid – additional engineering
- Randy Slaugh – additional programming
Charts
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] | 5 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[9] | 97 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[10] | 106 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 29 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[12] | 7 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] | 90 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 42 |
| US Billboard 200[15] | 95 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[16] | 3 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[17] | 15 |
References
- ^ "THY ART IS MURDER To Release 'Dear Desolation' Album". Blabbermouth.net. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Vocalist CJ McMahon Returns To Thy Art Is Murder, Band Drop New Track". theMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Smith-Engelhardt, Joe (August 16, 2016). "Thy Art Is Murder Dear Desolation". Exclaim!. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ a b Rees, Adam (15 August 2017). "Thy Art Is Murder - Dear Desolation album review". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Pementel, Michael (16 August 2017). "Album Review: THY ART IS MURDER Dear Desolation". Metal Injection. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Senior, Nicholas. "Album Review: Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation". Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Thy Art Is Murder – Dear Desolation". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ "Thy Art Is Murder Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- ^ "Thy Art Is Murder Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
- ^ "Thy Art Is Murder Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2017.