Hello fellow Metalheads, this is John coming back again with a review of one of my all time favorite bands, the almighty Black Dahlia Murder.  I have personally been listening to these guys for about 15 years.

Their latest offering “Servitude” is their tenth studio album all of which have come from Metal Blade Records which comes out on September 27, 2024. This is the first album after the passing of their esteemed and beloved vocalist Trevor Strnad.  He was literally loved by all and was a class act comedian.  His vocals on the records and on stage were consistently great and recognizable.  Brian Eschbach the longtime founder and rhythm guitarist has stepped into the vocal duties and has been touring as such for well over a year now.  Many people online have been raising concerns about the vocal quality before the first singles were even released.  I can tell you that when I saw Brian doing vocals on their stop through Buffalo last spring, we were in good hands even then.

Plus one other point that I will always bring up in regards to this band, they are the most consistent band in death metal and I dare say metal as a whole.  All of their albums are great and packed with fantastic track after track.  Brian has always been the mastermind behind the riffs and tracks and I read that he, Brandon Ellis(Lead guitarist) and Ryan Knight(Former lead guitarist) all wrote a third of this album!  The other change in lineup is Ryan Knight returning to the band after a 8 years absence.  He played lead on four albums prior and, I knew I was excited the moment that, that was announced.

The first single we got off of this album was “Aftermath” which is easily the fastest track.  Classic fast, thrashy and melodic track we have come to expect from this band.  Brian’s vocals sound great on here, which is the first thing I was looking for.  He sounds raw, but fantastic.  A couple of his low growls sounded a lot like Johnny Davy(Job for a Cowboy) and his highs have a very unique sound which I cant quite pin down. Great solo from what sounds like Brandon with his pitch bending which we have come to expect from him by now(and not in a bad way by any means!)

“Mammoth’s Head” is the second single we got to hear which is a dark and dreary waltz.  It starts of with an awesome guitar line and fades to a dark and ominous vamp until the main verse comes in.  The main verse is powerful and brutal, but as always melodic to a certain point.  Having two “lead” guitarists really managed to turn the guitar counterpoint up a few notches.  

One track that really stood out(besides the singles) was “Asserting Dominion”.  Very fast ripping track to start, with a melodic yet technical riff.  The chorus is as good as any and the guitar solo ones over top a very fast section as well and shreds too.  The section after the solo has a plodding riff that slows the track down a bit, but with a purpose.  The song ends with some really beautiful guitar work as well.  

The two members I didn’t really mention should get their flowers too.  Alan Cassidy has been nothing short of great since he joined, and this further proves how proficient and great he is.  Fast, technical and down right dirty are his drum beats.  Max Lavelle keeps the rumble going on every single song and does a fantastic job on every track.

Transcosmic Blueprint is the standout track for me.  This one has a dueling guitar solo, which everyone and their brother has been hoping for since Ryan was announced to be joining back!  The song has a space sort of sound to it which is something I don’t think The Black Dahlia Murder have ever really done before.  As with everything else they absolutely crush this style as well.  It’s fast, technical and straight up brutal at times!  

If anybody ever had any doubt that this band was still going to deliver anything that wasn’t amazing, then this should clear that all up.  This band has done amazing things time and time again and this is absolutely no exception.  This is very high up on my Album of the Year lists without a doubt.   Very easy 10/10 score for me with only one listen through.  This band always writes such melodic, heavy, fast and brutal tunes and manages to wrap it all up in under four minutes per track.  Make sure to see these guys live to see just how ridiculous they play.  

RIP Trevor, you left us with us with nine fantastic recordings.  I’m glad the guys kept going to provide with yet another amazing display of death metal.

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