CJ McMahon Kicked Out Of Thy Art Is Murder, Replaced On New Album

CJ McMahon has been kicked out of Thy Art Is Murder, with the band citing the “drawn out breakdown in his character and judgment”. The band have since replaced him with a new, presently unnamed vocalist.

In a statement posted to social media at 3:57 am AEST, the Australian deathcore favourites shared that it wasn’t only McMahon’s recent transphobic comments that brought them towards the decision but a string of events.

In August, CJ McMahon deleted his social media accounts and revealed that he’d be moving to OnlyFans to supply his supporters with non-nude content. The move came after the vocalist shared a video from conservative pundit Matt Walsh. The video contained a mother asking her child if they were a girl or boy and would accept the answer regardless.

In a series of deleted comments and posts that were screenshotted, McMahon wrote that the mother “should be burned to death” for her acceptance of her child’s identity.

The following day (23 August), Thy Art Is Murder “set the record straight” on their support for the transgender community, sharing a picture of the trans pride flag on Instagram and writing, “We stand with you”.

McMahon later posted an Instagram video and apologised for his comments. He said, “I apologise to the LGBTQ+ community and their allies and the people that support them. I thought I did support them, but obviously my video that I shared and commented horribly on has proved otherwise.

“To my friends that I have that are trans, please don't take this as me being transphobic. My intentions were very different to be anything other than that.”

“We have some important news regarding Godlike that we want to share with you,” Thy Art Is Murder wrote this morning. Their new album, Godlike, was released yesterday (22 September), a week later than initially planned.

The band initially said that the postponement was due to “production delays”, but after reading their new post, we know it’s due to McMahon’s replacement “finished re-recording vocals on the new album earlier this week”.

The band’s statement continued, “Our new album Godlike is now available worldwide digitally with an unforeseen change — Chris McMahon is no longer a part of Thy Art Is Murder and does not feature on the record.

“We understand that this may come as a surprise, and we want to assure you that this decision was made to preserve the band's integrity and direction.

“What transpired over the past month was not the cause of this action, but just another symptom of the drawn out breakdown in his character and judgement. The straw that broke the camel's back if you will. Long story short, the fallout has been immense. We were lobbed with threats to destroy Thy Art Is Murder from the inside if we did not capitulate to various ideologies that he holds.”

The band added that “Everyone has their own right to free speech and to seek their truth; they are also free to receive the consequences that come with it.

“We appreciate your support and respect for our privacy during this challenging time. As we move forward, we are excited to introduce you to a new vocalist, who finished re-recording vocals on the new album earlier this week, and will be joining us for the Godlike European tour with Whitechapel, Fit For An Autopsy and Spite, which kicks off in a few days.

“Our focus remains on delivering powerful music and unforgettable performances to our dedicated fans. We’re grateful for your understanding and continued support as we embark on this new chapter together.

“With gratitude, Thy Art Is Murder”.

Responding to the news of his dismissal, McMahon wrote in a brief Instagram statement, “I just woke up and saw the news. Yes this is how I found out. And yes it's not the whole story. I'll be going live tomorrow at 5pm Sydney Australia time. Burn everyone to death”.

Thy Art Is Murder’s European tour begins on Wednesday, 27 September, in Oberhausen, Germany.

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