Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Black Dahlia Murder, The
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release: 2013
Runtime: 44:33
Rating: 3.5/5
American quintet The Black Dahlia Murder are one of those bands that really never rest. They hit you with a new album every two years, they’re constantly on tour, and it’s rare for the same lineup to appear on two consecutive records. On this sixth studio outing we get new drummer Alan Cassidy (ex-Abigail Williams), who replaced longtime sticksman Shannon Lucas, and bassist Max Lavelle, who previously played in the deathcore outfit Despised Icon. Both of them have already faced extreme music head-on. Besides, it’s well known that TBDM’s lineup is made up of seasoned players who have no trouble with fast playing.
With its sixth album, Everblack, the band mostly shows stagnation. There’s no sense of progress anymore, not even a hint of experimentation — they’re just working to keep their heads above water with some pretty average records. These days, that’s enough to get a band slapped with the »generic« label quickly. But on the other hand, you have to give them credit: they’ve held on to a solid production level and other interesting touches, like Trevor Strnad’s unique vocals, which still pack an excellent growl and scream. The music itself is still brutal and melodic, like listening to a mix of Carcass, Morbid Angel and At The Gates. Despite the modern sound, it’s all too easy to hear that TBDM picked old-school extremes as their role models.
The album kicks off with plenty of promise on In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me, which serves up some fast death metal riffing. Standing out even more with its Morbid Angel-esque vibe is Into the Everblack, where the riffs are admittedly a bit recycled, but they undoubtedly still hit the mark today. A good example of the band’s melodic side is the catchy Raped In Hatred By Thorns Of Vine, which was inspired by the film Evil Dead. After that comes the album’s main problem: the songs just don’t stand out enough. Up to the closing Map Of Scars, which has an epic feel thanks to the keyboards, nothing really shake-up-worthy happens. The band does throw in some black metal along the way with Every Rope A Noose, but somehow it’s just not convincing enough. The arrangements themselves are too long, and that familiar feeling creeps in that there’s filler. So what makes TBDM so uninteresting? There’s not much to complain about with the guitars and vocals. Ryan Knight’s virtuoso solos and melodies are original, and he just shakes arpeggios out of his sleeve (he definitely shines on Map Of Scars). The problem, really, is the not-so-dynamic rhythm section. New drummer Alan Cassidy can’t replace Shannon Lucas’s originality. Cassidy is certainly fast, but his style doesn’t have the same technical polish as Lucas. His playing is probably a result of having played in black metal bands before.
For The Black Dahlia Murder, the time has come to take more than two years to make an album. Everblack offers a few truly standout tracks that a fan would definitely want to hear live, but the rest is rather washed-out and would probably need some polishing from a producer. TBDM are still brutal, melodic and, in some places, technical too. But is that enough?
Lineup
Trevor Strnad – vocals
Brian Eschbach – guitar
Ryan Knight – guitar
Alan Cassidy – drums
Max Lavelle – bass
Production
Jason Suecof, Ryan Williams
Tracklist
01. In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me
02. Goat Of Departure
03. Into The Everblack
04. Raped In Hatred By Vines Of Thorn
05. Phantom Limb Masturbation
06. Control
07. Blood Mine
08. Every Rope a Noose
09. Their Beloved Absentee
10. Map Of Scars
