When Trevor Strnad passed away the world of Metal was shaken to the core. That above quote from TBDM co-founder Brian Eschbach is taken from the press release and it’s a heartbreaking statement. Trevor had such a huge presence, both onstage and off. Despite their coming to Albuquerque multiple times, I never got to see them and I regret that.

The band’s resilience and determination to carry on were an understandably difficult decision, but they did, and the result is Servitude. In many ways, it is a tribute to a fallen brother, a triumphant statement that they will carry on and, while doing so, elevate Trevor’s memory.

The path they’ve made since Unhallowed has garnered a legion of dedicated fans, seen them stand on the biggest stages in Metal, and, bolstered by Trevor’s huge personality they quickly made friends worldwide. They released a slew of massive, well-produced albums chock full of glorious Blackened Death Metal, sometimes heavier on Black Metal (Ritual, Nocturnal and Nightbringers to name just three).

With Servitude, Brian Eschbach knew he had some big boots to fill. After making an incredibly hard decision to keep going under The Black Dahlia Murder banner, Eschbach switched from guitars solely to vocals and former guitarist Ryan Knight (ex-Arsis) returned to the fold, after not playing with the band since Abysmal.

The result of this tragedy is Servitude and it brings the heavy. Brian sounds like a vile pit of evil, his bile-filled delivery leads into the opener “Evening Ephemeral” after some light acoustic guitar and there’s the signature blasting that we all know and love. It’s a renewed energy, a powerful track, and relentless throughout. His scream at the beginning is triumphant, indeed.

“Panic Hysteric” doesn’t let up on the brutality, face shredding from start to finish. From the press release: The guitars, bass and vocals for Servitude were recorded at Ellis’ home studio in New Jersey. The drums were recorded by Mark Lewis in Nashville, Tennessee where the album was also mixed. Servitude was mastered by Ted Jensen. It’s this solid production that makes this album so crushing.

“Aftermath” is quite frankly the fastest song on the album, it’s also the single from Servitude.  An apocalyptic tale of a zombie infestation it moves forward like the ravenous hordes in the lyrics: “Feeding off each other when we can. The decisions that we make, beg the question “Are we still human?”

“Cursed Creator” is a mid-paced Death Metal pounder, it has this crazy outro section that is just a brutal barrage of double bass and a massive solo. After the 28-second “An Instrumental” they jump back into the fray with “Asserting Dominance” which is a quick, black as pitch rager, and it gives way to “Servitude”, which will have your head banging, in between the blasts there’s some killer riffing with a Melodic Death Metal center and a firebrand solo that will be stuck in your head for days.

It’s no surprise that Trevor’s spirit is within the album. Brian has the pipes to hit the high screams and low growls and those growls are on point with “Mammoth’s Hand”. It strides with incredible emotion, a powerful track with a gigantic solo, a true lumbering beast that will crush you.

The final two tracks “Transcosmic Blueprint” and “Utopia Black” bristle with brutality. Both are unrelenting blast fests while the latter has some really cool guitar gymnastics around the 2:20 mark, and then it gets nasty, slowing down to an epic finish and thereby ending this triumphant return by a beloved band.

Clocking in at 32:32 minutes, Servitude is a relatively short album. But the band brings the brutality for that half hour. There’s not one song over four minutes, the longest being the rocket ride that is “Utopia Black”. This could be The Black Dahlia Murder’s Reign in Blood.

“Everyone that’s in the band now is someone that Trevor and I searched for,” Eschbach says. “We spent so much time on the road together that everyone understands the mission statement. We don’t really need to talk about it. We just need to make great music and try to make people happy playing it.”

Truer words have never been spoken and with Servitude they have managed to bring the classic sound to a rejuvenated band that is honoring a man who led one of the most popular Metal bands of the 21^st century. When Trevor passed away from an apparent suicide, the Metal community was gutted and deeply saddened, understandably so; he was a genuinely good person who encouraged new bands, guested on numerous albums and exhibited a true Metal spirit. He will be missed, but his legacy will continue in the form of a band hungry to start the next chapter of their existence.

If you or someone you know is dealing with some heavy shit and needs help, I urge you, dear reader to please reach out and help them. You can call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. You could literally save a life. Rest in power, Trevor Strnad.

The impact left behind by Trevor Strnad goes so far beyond the voice that lead The Black Dahlia Murder to become one of modern metal’s most iconic, influential bands. The effort he gave to helping build up the metal community, and the generosity he so often showed has left an indelible mark on an entire generation of musicians and artists, friends, family and fans alike. Here, we come together to celebrate his life, his work, and the ways he left an impact on all of us on the Teeth of the Divine staff – and in tribute to the vibrant light he gave to the Metal community, how he helped every one of us, in one way or another, have a little more fun. The more we hear about Trevor, the more we’re pretty sure that’s all he ever really wanted.

Erik T

Back when I was writing for Metal Maniacs, I covered the 2006 edition of the Sounds of the Underground Tour. The Black Dahlia Murder was still bright-eyed kids who had just released their second album with 2005s Miasma, the follow up to one of the 00s most trendsetting albums, their debut Unhallowed.

I sat down with Trevor Strnad and then guitarists, John Kempainen, and Brian Eschbach on their tour bus, all barely in their 20s at the time. Little did I know that the young, bespectacled vocalist Trevor Strnad would become one of the biggest names in the international metal scene, but I remember thinking ‘these kids have ‘it”.

He and Brian Eschbach remained the lone original members over the next  20 years and The Black Dahlia Murder (with its various members) would go on to be an icon in the scene, cloned over and over again, with few managing to capture the same longevity and consistency over their 9 album career, as well as continuing high octane live shows even as the band got into their 30s.

Strnad also delved into journalism writing articles reviews and a regular playlist over at Metal Injection, even introducing me to a number of great bands and albums.

It was hard picking a favorite song, but I found TBDMs transition from melodeath/metalcore into melodic Dissection influenced black metal their pinnacle, with albums like Everblack, Ritual and Abysmal and Nightbringers. 

So I went with “Blood In the Ink” from the band’s 2011 effort, Ritual, the somber strings add something more to the slicing intensity. And it wasn’t till I after I choose this song, that I found the last line of this song is “Suicide is the Only Way Out…”…….Fuck….

Frank Rini

The passing of vocalist, Trevor Strnad, from The Black Dahlia Murder, has taken the metal scene by surprise and shock.  I first saw the band live on the Decibel Tour with Carcass and Noisem.  I was blown away by the energy of TBDM and Trevor’s stage presence was excellent and he had such a connection to the live crowd.  His cracking of various jokes in between the songs made me laugh my ass off.  I had the pleasure of meeting Trevor in 2018.  I had returned to my original band, Internal Bleeding to front and tour with them for the BloodLetting Tour.  At the one show at The Kingsland in Brooklyn, NY, prior to us going on I was watching our merch booth.  Trevor walked up to me and was wearing a Disincarnate long sleeve shirt and we struck up a conversation.  He bought one of our tour shirts that night.  I asked if he would take a picture with me and he said absolutely.  He told me he was coming to see me back with Internal Bleeding and this was a bucket list for him.  He went so far to say I was a vocal influence on him and my work with Internal Bleeding is some of his favorite death metal, still.  I was blown away and told him I had seen them live several times, which I had, and his energy and vocals were just plain awesome.  After the show, he took the time to say it was great to meet me and my stage presence that night and crowd interaction were unparalleled.  I was blown away. He was a gentle and super nice person.  He loved his metal and he loved the fans.  He was an ardent supporter of the scene and bought tons of merch from bands and distros.  I also enjoyed all his metal reviews and he will be sorely missed.  All the best to his family, friends, and the rest of TBDM.  RIP metal brother. Such sad news  I selected the song The Leather Apron’s Scorn from the band’s last album, in 2020, Verminous.  The song is exceptional and Trevor’s vocals are so damn wild on this.  Quite varied.  Your music and influence will live on my brother.

J Mays 

Man, this one stings. As an owner of TBDM merch, including all albums, a hoodie, and multiple shirts, one could call me a fan. This hit hard and out of nowhere. I’m writing this on the morning after hearing the news, still trying to process it all. You truly never know what someone’s going through, only what they’re willing to share. Not to go too much into my story, but when you read the parallels, you’ll understand my feelings. I’ve been down the dark path. Recently. In fact, I was at a crossroads where I decided it was time to get help because I literally could not go on living that way… and that doesn’t mean I’m cured. Many of these stories end just like Trevor’s (assumptions made based on the band’s post). I don’t know what else to say, except that the world lost a kind, gentle soul, and an ambassador for the entire metal scene by all accounts. So, blast The Black Dahlia Murder. My personal choice will be my favorite album of theirs, Ritual. Rest well, brother in metal. I’ll think of you every time I take my heartburn prevention meds in the morning.

Steve K

I’m not sure I could actually count the amount of times in my life where Metal music came to my rescue, or conversely, how many times the best moments of my life were directly tied to my love affair with Metal. It can be anything you need it to be at any given time – a motivator, a healer, a cathartic outlet or rejuvenating force. It was there with me in my car with high school friends when we were young, dumb and just trying to find ourselves, it was there as an escape when I unexpectedly lost my father and just needed a minute to get away and gather myself. It’s been a constant, reliable companion at every twist and corner of my life.

I distinctly remember the first time hearing The Black Dahlia Murder’s Unhallowed nearly 20 years ago. By the time of its release in 2003, the New Wave of American heavy Metal and Metalcore scenes were really just starting to hit their stride, with the likes of Shadows Fall, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and countless others generating a ton of buzz for the American metal scene. As a teenager trying to figure out where he belonged in the world, it felt like I was getting in on a part of something, and that I wasn’t just some weirdo walking around alone in the world. But as much as I still, to this day, love those bands and so many others, The Black Dahlia Murder really struck a chord with me by really tapping in to that At The Gates-loving, Swedish Melodeath sound that by that point had become one of my biggest obsessions. And while The Black Dahlia Murder would grow to heights even then I never could have imagined, it was the man at the center of it all, Trevor Strnad, who would prove to become one of my generation’s biggest metal heroes – a unifying beacon of inspiration that time and time again proved his dedication not just to his own band’s interests, but worked obsessively to make sure more artists voices were heard, and more dreams were made reality. Where The Black Dahlia Murder continued to grow – the scene, it seemed, continued to grow around them.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Trevor Strnad in person. If I had, I’d have thanked him for being such a huge part of cultivating a community that would become such an enormous part of my own life. To that end, I’m actually choosing to highlight NOT a TBDM track, but instead a band that, like me, he loved and believed in, and to ALL of our benefit, lent his vocal talents to. It’s one of my favorite all-time collaborations, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate his dedication to the world of Heavy Metal: Light This City‘s “Fear of Heights.”

Jeremy Beck

Last week, the world of Death Metal has lost a leader of the genre. Trevor Strnd of The Black Dahlia Murder has passed away at the very young age of 41. I am sad that I never got to see them live; not for lack of them not coming here, I just never was able to get a chance to go. 

From Unhallowed to recent Verminous, Trevor gave us soundscapes of horror and gore; inspiring a new generation of Death Metal hordes to further this music we love. His unearthly vocals and more, the man himself, will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to his family.

Kristofor Allred

I’m not even sure where to begin. I sit here, looking for the right words to say and they just don’t seem to come. Hell, before I even realized it I was putting down these very sentences before it kind of dawned on me; there simply are no “right words”. No matter how you’re perceive it or what angle you approach a situation like this, it is undoubtedly one of sorrow, sadness, apathy and empathy. I was taken aback like everyone else when I heard the news about Trevor. Any life ending early is a tragic thing in itself, but it seems doubly painful and confusing when it’s a person we seem to think of, or deem as to having it all, so-to-speak. Trevor/The Black Dahlia Murder achieved what is mainly a pipe dream for metal bands these days; to not only make a living off your band/trade, but to actually become a household name in metal itself. Touted by one of metal’s biggest labels the band broke the stigma of what an underground metal band could still accomplish in the 21^st century. I mean lets be honest, love ’em or hate ’em, TBDM is an act that we metalheads have either heard or at least heard of.

I remember first hearing Unhallowed, shortly after its release, and being vastly impressed with its Carcass meets the Gothenburg sound. Funny, because it was Trevor’s forearm tattoo of Carcass‘ “tools of the trade”, from a publication ad, that piqued my interest a bit harder into checking out the group. The band had the ability to not only appeal to the death metal fans, both brutal and melodic, but the then exploding metalcore scene as well. With their own evolving death metal brand and identity, TBDM arguably became the spearhead for a big chunk of metal. Without Trevor’s versatile death like bellows and shrieks of grating insanity, his witty and appealing nature and humor, or his enegetic stage prescense, I doubt TBDM would have achieved the level of success  that they have. In no way is that intended as an insult toward any current or past member of the band, on the contrary, it is soley the recognition of a man whom achieved the damn near impossible feat of climbing metal’s ladder to beome an icon mentioned among the greats.

I chose to include the track “What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse” from the band’s third album, Nocturnal, it’s one of my favorite albums of theirs. I love the blacker/Dissection like vibe within the album as a whole and the directions the group spanned  into from here, as well as the songs title dating back to the group’s first demo, seemingly representing the bands origin as well as a newer beginning that Nocturnal seemed to begin.

Rest in Peace Trevor, as your work will live on in Power.

Mars Budziszewski

Reviewing the list of commonly regarded “gateway” metal bands The Black Dahlia Murder are not only the single band truly representative of extreme metal but also the likeliest to lead the most listeners through the stone gargoyle guarded gateway.   Certainly upon their debut.  This is in due part to Trevor’s compelling want to promote both the masters and upstarts of the genre, equally.  A deed I respect because I know I’d do the same given his and The Black Dahlia’s unique position as a then-new Web 2.0 era band that forged a consistent, tireless career.  Until a few days ago.

I choose this song because I am in fact only really have a history with Unhallowed. In 2003 I was curious if the band born of the metalcore and screamo world (their debut ep having come out on upstart label Love Lost Records that cultivated a more extreme cast of early death, and metalcore) that was one of the earliest to go fully death metal (albeit a heavy Swedish melo spine).  I recall appreciating that they weren’t cowards and had proper low death bellows where other bands were pleased as punch to continue feasting upon At The Gates’ corpse, only flirting with death and black metal tropes.  This was the track I downloaded to sample the new record.  Its meaty double bass throttle completely hooked me until payday came around when I could pick up the cd.  I listened to it a lot then and revisited it for the first time in some 15 years. It rather holds up.  In 2004 I caught them on tour with Vital Remains (doing Dechristianize with Glen.  Uh, wow by the way), and Cattle Decapitation, their star quickly rising.  I remember a young Trevor having already great presence, perhaps in a Suffocation shirt, and already having the remarkable medical instrument forearm piece.

Am I guilty of disinterest in the remainder of their career? Yeah.  As a firm “gateway” death metal act? Yeah.  But taking into consideration the current landscape of death metal.  How many killer bands exist now arr made up of people under 35 that count hearing The Black Dahlia Murder as a moment their tastes where awoken?  It’s undeniable that Trevor Strnad and his band are on a shortlist that have been a catalyst to many, introducing them to an underworld that would define who they became today. Energizing a generation to be curious enough to investigate the Godfather’s: Suffocation, Carcass, Cryptopsy, Mayhem, Devourment, etc, and most importantly, become participants themselves.

As I’ve said in prior reviews, I’m a relatively casual TBDM fan, I’ve enjoyed all their releases, but never really thought of any of their albums as year end contenders or stuff I go back to regularly to relisten to past review purposes. Even with some of the bands ‘blacker’ efforts I liked more in Ritual, Everblack and Nocturnal, I never really ‘loved’ or craved the band’s outputs, and that trend continues with album number 9, the much hyped Verminous. A really good TBDM album, but yet another album I will have forgotten in 6 weeks.

Admittedly, the addition of Arsis’s Brandon Smith on guitars for the last album, Nightbringers, gave the band a nice little injection or pure melo-death. And that has continued with Verminous, with more taught, hack ‘n’ slash riffery that imbues a beefed up,  Americanized At The Gates more feral, slicing material, and less Dissection, like some of the bands aforementioned, previous ‘blacker; efforts. And it’s all superbly delivered and energetically played, with high octane razor sharp riffs galore.

Opening with  the manic gallop of “Verminous”, like its predecessor, the album is short sharp affair, clocking in at 35 minutes (Nightbringers was a svelte 33 minutes) and there is little fat. Only 48 second interlude “A Womb in Dark Chrysalis” takes a break from the band’s breakneck pacing and trademark dual guitar slicing assault. Initial listens had me perk up at tracks like “Godlessly”, the blistering “Child of Night” and closing standout “Dawn of Rats”, arguably the band’s best and most melodic track in some time, and a rare TBDM track I actually recall later.

Interestingly,  the pedal is eased up a bit for about half  of the album with more ‘mature’ or ‘developed’ tracks like “Removal of the Oaken Stake” and mid album stretch of  “Sunless Empire”, “The Leather Apron’s Scorn”,  “How Very Dead” and fast/slow blended track “The Wereworm’s Feast”. But it’s the aforementioned rippers that make the album stand toe to toe with the band’s previous offerings and lets be honest, why we listen to these guys in the first place.

Verminous does see a change in the mix /master, aiding Brandon Smith’s recording, now we have the super duo of Tue Madsen and Alan Douches, but to be honest, other than a slightly bigger bottom end (more discernible of those slower controlled tracks) ,  casual listeners wouldn’t be able to tell, it sounds like a TBDM record; tight , pristine and razor sharp as fuck.

And therein lies the ‘problem’ ( if you can call it that) with Verminous, and the last decade’s TBDM releases in general. If you were you put Verminous and the last 2 or 3 albums on shuffle (any maybe the band’s whole catalog), you’d be hard pressed to name the album the songs came from or even the album. But you could say the same thing about say.. Cannibal Corpse, so it’s both a boon and a burden being this predicatively, consistently solid sounding (and mimicked!) after 17 years.

Nightbringers wastes little time cutting to the chase and demanding attention. An ominous atmospheric intro eventually unfurls into the guts of the powerhouse “Widowmaker.” It’s a brutally refined and feisty ripper showcasing the band’s typical energy and precision chops within their signature thrashy melo-death context. Boasting a rugged central groove and terrific soloing, the title track finds the band in a more restrained mood, ramping-up the heaviness but reducing the speed, as insidious melodies and increased heft takes hold. However, it’s the tearaway, speed-laced numbers that showcase The Black Dahlia Murder at their vicious best, without sacrificing smart dynamics and well crafted structures. The mid-album stretch is particularly strong and memorable, with the raging intensity of “Jars,” blackened gallop and terrific hooks of “Kings of the Nightworld,” and mighty death metal crush of “Catacomb Hecatomb” forming one hell of a back-to-back trio.

The loss of gifted guitarist Ryan Knight would have hurt many bands and while admittedly in the solo department Knight’s uniqueness and creativity is missed, otherwise The Black Dahlia Murder rebound without missing a beat. By employing the impressive skills of new addition Brandon Ellis (Arsis, Cannabis Corpse) The Black Dahlia Murder keep on trucking and sticking to their established formula. Ellis brings whiffs of Arsis into the fold and fills the void admirably with his top notch playing and impressive shred. His combination with long-time axeman Brian Eschbach is critical to the album’s success, the duo ripping out piercing riff after riff embedded with razor sharp hooks, while the fiery leads drip with malice and a charred melodic sensibility.

Wisely The Black Dahlia Murder condenses their livewire attack into a tight 33-minute blast that ensures there’s no unnecessary filler or fatty off-cuts. The at times frantic pacing and efficiency of the album are clear strengths, making for a tight, consistent and often exhilarating ride. Abysmal was guilty of fading from the memory bank far too quickly. In comparison, the songs on Nightbringers leave a deeper impression, perfecting the balance of speed, ferocity, whip smart dynamics, and penetrating hooks. Technically speaking, Nightbringers is a beast, with each band member operating at the top of their game amidst an abundance of guitar fireworks, slick blackened melodies, and unrelenting drum battery. Trevor Strnad’s dual screams and growls are typically strong and Alan Cassidy’s varied, blasting percussion solidifies his status as one of extreme metal’s most underrated drummers. Meanwhile the production on Nightbringers is solid through and through, balancing heft with refined sharp tones and overall clarity.

Nightbringers is a top shelf album and one of 2017’s standout melo-death releases, earning a place in the upper tier of The Black Dahlia Murder’s repertoire. It’s an accomplished album that’s both a significant step-up from Abysmal and a great addition to the band’s impressive body of work.

Everblack, their 6^th full length album, finds The Black Dahlia Murder hell-bent on delivering their trademark brand of thrashy melodic death, keeping things fresh without bringing anything new to the table. And the resulting album has recharged my interest in the band and is quite possibly one of the strongest albums of their career. The song-writing is catchy and varied enough to largely steer clear of the monotonous and derivative aspects of the band’s well-worn formula. They are still at their best in full throttle mode, and when they shake off the bouncier melodic aspects of their sound and lead with focused aggression, they sound all the more exciting. As expected the musicianship is outstanding, especially the work of lead guitarist Ryan Knight, while Strnad’s dual vocals are typically strong. And it’s testament to the band’s drive and prolific output that they have managed to pump out six full length albums in the space of a decade despite a multitude of line-up changes along the way. Line-up turbulence aside, The Black Dahlia Murder sound as tight as ever, ripping through the 10 tunes with vigorous intent and a palpable surge of energy.

Mainstays Trevor Strnad (vocals) and Brian Eschbach (rhythm guitar) continue to surround themselves with quality musicians and Everblack brings a new rhythm section in tow. Max Lavelle (bass) and Alan Cassidy (drums) are the new dudes on board and nothing sounds amiss. Although the bass doesn’t get much of a look-in, Cassidy’s drumming is top notch and perfectly synced with the band’s speedy delivery. The album’s darker vibe and blackened tone shares similarities with their Nocturnal album, and Ryan Knight sounds right at home on his third outing with the band. His intricate, fluid guitar solos embellish the album with a touch of class. On the whole, Everblack features some of the fastest, most aggressive material the band has penned.

Sporting a sharp, clean production job, Everblack sounds slick yet not overproduced, although the lack of any serious low end creates an unnecessarily thin recording. Wordy opener “In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me” builds for over a minute before kicking into gear with an electrifying thrashy tempo, some wicked mid-tempo groove and a sublime solo from Knight. The blistering attack of “Goat of Departure” is tempered by smart time changes and taut groove amidst a flurry of blast beats and charred melody. Pushing aside the over-the-top black metal-isms of its title, the briskly paced “Raped In Hatred By Vines Of Thorn” is an otherwise strong track with a catchy chorus and deft solo punctuating a fairly predictable structure. A couple of solid by-the-numbers songs crop up mid-album before the dynamic, meaty grooves and pure aggression of “Blood Mine” and prickly, blackened melodeath of “Every Rope A Noose” brings the album back to the stronger end of the song-writing spectrum. The thorny melodies and brutish black/death leanings of closer “Map of Scars” finishes the album’s clinical bloodletting in style.

With the sizzling aftertaste of the latest Arsis album still fresh on the palate, this new effort from The Black Dahlia Murder doesn’t quite resonate as strongly. Nevertheless it’s slightly different, albeit familiar approach to melodic death metal gives the often tired trappings of the scene another kick in the teeth. Everblack’s energized song-writing and aggressive delivery finds The Black Dahlia Murder sounding leaner, meaner and more exciting than they have in a long time.

Still, I rather enjoyed 2007’s Nocturnal as it showed a more blackened, leaner act, but 2009’s Deflorate, even with Arsis‘ Ryan Knight manning one of the guitars, seemed a bit of a step back for me. Frankly, I can say I’m feeling rather ambivalent about the band’s fifth album Ritual, and its campy “ritualistic’ press hype. Yet, I have to admit that Ritual is actually very, very good and might be the best release of the band’s entire career.

Returning to the more leaner, serious and blacker themes of Nocturnal, Ritual absolutely shreds with the expected tightness that the band has been known for. With an added sense of melody and varied, dynamic songwriting which includes a few of the best tracks the band has penned thus far, as well as a seemingly re-energized (and gruffer?) Trevor Strnad and Ryan Knight really finding his groove in the solo department, Ritual is actually–to emphasize what I said earlier–a great listen.

Opening with some black metal atmospherics, “A Shrine to Madness” is the album’s attention getting opener, where you can feel the band loosening up their melodic elements amid the terse, taught riffage especially in the song’s addictive chorus of sorts. The album’s first single “Moonlight Equilibrium” follows suite with a svelte solo and bridge. But unlike Deflorate or Miasma, the foot is taken off the throttle here and there, adding another element to the band’s already tight delivery. For example, “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood”,   “Malenchantments of the Necrosphere” and “Great Burning Nullifier”, the band delivers stern, largely mid-paced, controlled, militant death metal tracks with Strand even bellowing deeply for most of them.

Complete with a haunting piano close out and some stirring blackened synths/strings “Carbonized in Cruciform” and closer “Blood in the Ink”, like the opener, are some of the best, most epic tracks the band has penned. However, the track that most cements The Black Dahlia Murder, increased variety in songwriting is “Den of the Picuerist”  a 1 and ½  minute D-beat, crust punk beat down , rendered as only The Black Dahlia Murder can. Long time fans should fear not, there’s plenty of high octane, At The Gates on meth, slicing riffage on the likes of “Conspiring with the Damned” (even with its mid-song break), “The Window”, “The Raven” and “The Grave Robber’s Work”.

The Black Dahlia Murder have been much maligned over their career, but credit where credit is due: After five albums and plenty of line up shuffling, their hard work, tireless work ethic and undeniable energy has translated into an album they can truly be proud of and in an album that formerly jaded Black Dahlia haters should check out.

Don’t get me wrong, fans of the band will no doubt lap this up as it delivers everything that TBDM has cultivated since 2002s watershed Unhallowed; blistering,  Americanized At The Gates worship, rendered with super tight playing and truly admirable energy. But where Nocturnal seemed to have a more sinister and malevolent feel to it, Deflorate seems to be a bit more of a return to the more melodic and dare I say metalcore based sound of Unhallowed – something fans will no doubt love, but personally I thought TBDM had the potential to be something more than a slightly blackened melodic metalcore band.

That all being said, one could also construe that TBDM are victims of their own success, having their sound aped by countless acts (Inferi, Wretched, Salt the Wound, Mirror of Dead Faces to name a few), and that thusly contributes to the relative apathy I’m feeling towards Deflorate. And it’s a shame as Deflorate’s 33 minute run time truly bristles with ferocity and melodic vitriol, but at the same time, none of the tracks jumped out and made the album stand out. Where Nocturnal had “Darkness Divine” and “Warborn”, on Deflorate I’m hard pressed to pick out anything from the likes of “Black Valor”, “A Selection Unnatural”, “Death Panorama” and “That Which Erodes Most Tender”. With Shannon Lucas on autopilot for virtually the albums entire runtime, I’m not kidding when I say Deflorate feels like one, frantic, 33 minute melodic death metal song on meth. Closer “I Will Return” hints at something different, but only teases, fading out with a nice solo. While speaking of solos, Ryan Knight solos are there, but just don’t have the character or melody that Kempainen had.

I hope I don’t come across as too ‘down’ on Deflorate, as I’m sure I’ll give it future listens, and frankly you can’t fault TBDM for sticking with what works, and doing it with a energy and consistency that few bands can claim. I’m sure I’ll get lashing for saying this is a slight step back from Nocturnal, but I doubt it will affect record sales and the band will continue to see deserved success.

 This side splitting peek into the hard working band’s humor laced brand of daily life will have you smelling the funk of the van from coast to coast and keep you coming back for more. Stay tuned to the band’s MySpace page or Metal Blade’s site/MySpace page as we will be releasing teaser clips taken from the DVD up through the release of Majesty.

Two exclusive pre-orders have been set up for Majesty so head over to the Metal Blade Records Online Store to get your copy of The Black Dahlia Murder’s first ever DVD Majesty (2 Discs in Digipak) at the special low price of $17.99 (available HERE). The price will go up once the DVD is released (5/12) so make sure to grab yours now. Also available is a DVD/t-shirt package that includes a Black Dahlia Majesty t-shirt and the 2disc DVD in Digipak for the low pre-street date price of $26.99 (available HERE). Fans can also go HERE to grab a widget to post to your networking sites. The Black Dahlia Murder Majesty widget includes an exclusive clip taken from the DVD, links to the pre-order, and will be updated with links to the handful of sites we have given exclusive sneak peak clips to.

Vocalist Trevor Strnad comments, “The Black Dahlia Murder DVD entitled Majesty is finally finished and ready to be unleashed on the world. Diehard fans will recognize that the title has been plucked from the chorus of Nocturnal. It was filmed and edited by our good friend/drinking partner Robbie Tassaro, whom we have worked with in the past for the filming of our “What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse” video. Robbie is a hilarious man in himself, and probably the only person we could trust to really capture the essence of the band. Doing a DVD was something we were very apprehensive about… doing video stuff is always a risk when you can’t afford the luxuries that the MTV darlings can… I mean look at the majority of death metal videos on you tube… the comments are all people laughing how cheesy they are. For Christ’s sake, look at our video for Funeral Thirst! That’s ghetto metal fabulous. All of our videos, good and bad, will be featured on the second disc of the dvd, along with a shows worth of intense live footage, captured from various locations throughout our Summer Slaughter tour and our romp in support of Children Of Bodom. The live footage is unbelievable looking… it absolutely blew me away the first time I watched. I think he really nailed the energetic atmosphere of our concerts… it makes me want to stage dive myself. The main disc is chock full with over two hours of backstage footage and will give our fans a deserved look into the BDM machine. See your favorite thrashers drink ’til they puke, eat til they puke, smoke weed ’til they puke, etc. The Pantera DVD was our model to strive for, as it’s the only metal DVD out there that warrants repeated viewings. Now that I have seen it a few times, I have had the semi painful realization that I am an alcoholic. I’ll keep you posted on that as it develops.
Calling all thrashers! Behold the Majesty!”

Majesty, 2DVD Digipak includes over 3 HOURS of footage featuring interviews, performances and complete THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER audio/visual history. Available everywhere May 12th 2009.

Disc 1
Feature Documentary consisting of ridiculous tour antics, live footage, and band interviews.

Disc 2
The Black Dahlia Murder Live performing the following tracks from all over the world:
Elder Misanthropy
Funeral Thirst
I’m Charming
Flies
A Vulgar Picture
Statutory Ape
Miasma
Everything Went Black
Worship
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
Deathmask Divine

Music videos:
Contagion (Directed by Jason Joseph)
Funeral Thirst (Directed by Jason Joseph)
A Vulgar Picture (Directed by Matt Bass)
Statutory Ape (Directed by Doug Spangenberg)
Miasma (Directed by Joe Lynch)
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse (Directed by Robbie Tassaro)
Everything Went Black (Directed by David Brodsky)

http://www.myspace.com/blackdahliamurder

The thing is, even with a more serious, blacker and melodically vitriolic sound, they still sound like an American band trying to sound like a blacker, leaner version of At The Gates. And for some, that may not be a bad thing, it certainly didn’t prevent them from becoming one of Metal Blade’s hottest acts, and in all honesty Nocturnal is a pretty good album, but the sound has been soooooo beaten to death, its quickly losing any luster it has.

That being said, with a far more tangible Naglfar/Dissection influence more predominately present, Nocturnal slices, shreds and blasts with aplomb, and has far more focus and melodic drive than Miasma, but ultimately the band’s sound is a victim of their own success as bands like Sons of Azrael, Bring Me The Horizon and countless others have aped the sound to the point where there’s simply no originality, creativity or individuality whatsoever and all said bands blend into one high octane pot of same-y-ness.

Granted, TBDM are arguably the more polished bands of the style, and their new rhythm section including former All That Remains drummer Shannon Lucas is tighter than fuck and along with Trevor Strnad’s rasps and growls, rounded out by a all star master/mix/production (Eric Rachael, Jason Suceof) the whole affair is impressively put together. Even though all 10 tracks are similarly paced, “Darkness Spawned” and closer “Warborn” standout out due to their slight variety and pacing, with “Warborn” having a nice, deliberate slower gait I’d liketo hear more of.

Ultimately, much like bands like Dimmu Borgir, As I Lay Dying, Arch Enemy, Dismember, Bolt Thrower and Amon Amarth, you know exactly what to expect with a The Black Dahlia Murder album, and they deliver on Nocturnal with no real deviation or surprises, but a whole lot of blackened venom.