Only a few bands would be able to rise above the ordeal suffered by The Black Dahlia Murder.
Formed in 2001, the American band made their way in the particularly aggressive Melodic Death genre, building a reputation in the scene. But in 2022, founding vocalist Trevor Strnad suddenly died, leaving a huge void in the entire Metal community.
Guitarist Brian Eschbach took over main vocal duties, and with Max Lavelle (bass, Serpent of Gnosis, ex-Despised Icon), Alan Cassidy (drums, Slugdge, ex-Abigail Williams) and Brandon Ellis (guitar, ex-Arsis, ex-Cannabis Corpse) they recalled Ryan Knight (guitar, ex-Arsis) to compose and unveil Servitude, their tenth album, on Metal Blade Records.
Rain greets us on Evening Ephemeral, followed by a few melancholic notes and then the Americans’ jerky violence. It took me a while to get used to the difference in the vocal parts, but Brian goes to great lengths to stick to the hectic approach we’re all familiar with, and his hard work has paid off, as the aggressive melodic atmosphere follows just as it does on Panic Hysteric, where fury immediately reborns. The tortured leads naturally find their place in the efficient rhythm, with the only respite being the airy solo, but Aftermath quickly follows suit and once again sweeps us along in its surge where the lively riffs are sometimes tinged with a suffocating heaviness. Cursed Creator follows with dark tones, but the harmonics also give it soaring dissonant accents, then the band offers us a brief moment’s respite with An Intermission, which lets us breathe before rage picks up again on Asserting Dominion. The composition remains true to the band’s recipe, offering catchy parts that remain anchored in this duality between violence and cutting melodies, and it’s the same for Servitude, where we sense that the band is returning to its roots by placing unhealthy, albeit very heady, elements. The pace slows down for Mammoth’s Hand, but the composition becomes heavier, giving pride of place to hypnotic melodies during the choruses while including small waves of power, but Transcosmic Blueprint speeds up again to resume its savage habits. The focus is still on the guitars during the slower parts, then the band mixes them to a frantic base on Utopia Black – which again reminds me of their early compositions – with an energetic tapping, but which abruptly ends to place a touch of nostalgia before ceasing for good.
Announced some time ago, I was curious to see what this new album from The Black Dahlia Murder had in store for us, and I wasn’t disappointed! Servitude remains anchored in the band’s roots, and allows the vocalists to continue on their way, honoring their friend in the process.
85/100