Exclusive: Thy Art Is Murder sign to UNFD

Thy Art Is Murder, the Sydney-based band who made ARIA Albums chart history in 2012 asthe first extreme metal band to ever reach the Top 40, have signed to local independent UNFD for Australia and New Zealand.

During the band's time with their previous label, they hit #35 on the ARIA Albums with sophomore LP Hate.

“Making it into the Top 40 had everything to do with the band and absolutely nothing to do with the label,” Marsh said. “We had a horrible experience there and have nothing savory to say about the experience.”

Thy Art are set to release third LP Holy War on June 26 with pre-orders kicking off April 24. The 10-track album was recorded in secret in late 2014 and produced and mixed byWill Putney, who produced the upcoming third LP from fellow-UNFD signing Northlane.

“Having more control and a better grasp on setting up this release I had only one option to consider in Australia, and that was the UNFD juggernaut,” Marsh said.

Thy Art Is Murder’s move to UNFD sees them join a roster of acts they already have close ties with; the band have shared stages and toured with UNFD acts including Northlane, In Hearts Wake, Storm The Sky and Antagonist A.D. and worked with UNFD staff on past tours and the label’s inaugural UNIFYGathering in January.

“I've known most of those guys for years and they are true professionals that deliver for their bands on so many fronts,” added Marsh. “It's fresh and exciting to have a home here and they most certainly will contribute to our continued success and growth in Australia. It feels good to be part of a team.”

Heading up the band’s transition is Unified’s Head of Recorded Music Luke Logemann. Speaking to TMN, Logemann said he plans to take Holy War to new heights for the band.

“The band is at their absolute peak and they are doing such a great job branding themselves and setting themselves apart from the pack. So for us, it’s just about giving the band the great exposure we can in Australia.

“With our publicity, sales, marketing and social media experience, we know we can help take this record to new heights for the band in Australia. We’ve been huge fans for a while and worked with the guys on tours and festivals already – can’t wait to get stuck into collaborating yet again onHoly War!”

Thy Art are signed to Nuclear Blast Entertainment for the rest of the world excluding Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Holy War will be will be made available in both physical and digital formats, via a limited edition digipak with a bonus track, and on vinyl in assorted colours with an exclusive mail-order picture disc.

Next month, Thy Art Is Murder will tourEurope on a surprise headline run of shows after Emmure had to pull out on the already scheduled tour. The Western Sydney juggernauts will be bringing along Australianlocals Feed Her To The Sharks and Aversions Crown. In the past, the bandhave sold out 800-1000 capacity venues across the UK, USA, Australia and Germany.