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1. In Hell Is Where She Waits for Me
2. Goat of Departure
3. Into the Everblack
4. Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn
5. Phantom Limb Masturbation
6. Control
7. Blood Mine
8. Every Rope a Noose
9. Their Beloved Absentee
10. Map of Scars
Having dropped five genre-defining albums The Black Dahlia
Murder have made it impossible to discuss melodic death metal without mention
of their name. With Everblack, they once again demand the respect of peers and
followers alike. "We've always tried to create something that's rooted in
classic death metal but at the same time offers something fresh and new, and
Everblack is everything that we collectively love about the genre,"
asserts vocalist Trevor Strnad. "To us, the challenge is always in wanting
to make something better than what has come before, and something that will
really excite the fans. But I think with all those albums behind us we have
become the band fans can depend on, and we couldn't be more proud of what we
have achieved with this new record."
By far the most dynamic, melodic, and fully realized of
their works to date, 2011's Ritual was a huge hit with the band's diehard fan
base, and touring it globally both as headliner and as support to Cannibal
Corpse and Amon Amarth drew in waves of new converts. Faced with the task of
writing its successor, Strnad admits that initially he was quite intimidated by
the prospect. "In writing Everblack we had to face the monster that was
Ritual. It was the biggest and most thought out thing we had put our names to,
and it really advanced our sound, but once we started working on Everblack it
became a monster of its own. It's just awesome riffs, it's more melodic than
ever, and I think it's more digestible too - not in the sense that we've
mellowed out at all, but the songwriting is better, which reflects our desire
to take everything to the next level." This is apparent across the album's
ten tracks, each of them hitting home with sledgehammer force while drenched in
the kind of chilling hooks and macabre atmosphere the band have long excelled
at. At the same time, this represents the next stage in the band's evolution
without at any point veering away from their instantly recognizable sound, and
founding guitarist Brian Eschbach views the record as simply the band doing
what they do best. "Anything we do is always going to have the Black
Dahlia style, but we try to ensure every track we write has a personality of
its own, so that it can stand out amongst what's now a six-album catalogue of
songs. We're not going to start throwing curveballs, we're not going to pussy
out, and no one's ever going to say y'know what would be cool right here? A
fucking Meat Loaf part! We are what we are, and we're proud of that."
Rich with the kind of brutal yet dexterous riffs and
blistering lead work that have dominated all of their releases, Eschbach and
fellow six-stringer Ryan Knight also upped their game this time out, making
their highly technical style and capacity for writing razor sharp hooks seem
almost easy. Further bolstering the record's visceral impact their shredding
has never sounded better. "A lot of the solos on this record were
improvised," Eschbach states. "There were some ideas that had been
worked out beforehand, but most of the time we'd roll tape and see what
happened. We'd stop when someone would say that was amazing. Don't touch that,
leave that alone, and I think that spontaneous feeling really has an energy of
its own." Eschbach continues, "Without a doubt in my mind, this album
will be Ryan's step into the guitar god lime light. He is such a humble guy in
person, but he speaks volumes with his solos on Everblack." The album also
features the recording debuts of Max Lavelle (formerly of Despised Icon and
Goratory) and Alan Cassidy (formerly of Abigail Williams), who respectively
filled the slots vacated by bassist Ryan "Bart" Williams and drummer
Shannon Lucas. Strnad knew that bringing new guys into the fold would mean they
had a lot to prove with Everblack, but both stepped up. And then some.
"We've known Max a while, and he's such a positive guy to be around. He
has an intense stage presence that just ups the game for the whole band, and he
brought his dirty, growling bass sound to the album that makes the heavier
parts so much heavier." Asserting that he believes that the
twenty-three-year-old Cassidy to be a drumming prodigy in his own right, Strnad
says that his excitement, enthusiasm, and abilities behind the kit made him a
perfect fit. "His performance on the album is great. He's really creative
with his playing, and he brought a really definitive style to the band, which
is going to stand out." Though no longer actively playing in the band,
Ryan "Bart" Williams remained involved in that he handled production
duties when the quintet headed into the studio, and is an important facet in
the album's weighty sound. "Having Bart in there overseeing things really
helped. I see it kind of like a Beach Boys operation, where the band is bigger
than just who goes on tour. His contribution to me is important, and I'm
thrilled to still have him be a part of what we do."
Lyrically speaking, the album sees Strnad weaving together
more of the vivid and sickening horror-based narratives that have long been a
powerful part of the band's appeal, without ever rehashing old ideas. Likening
the best death metal to a car wreck in the sense that "it's gruesome, but
you can't stop looking at it" Strnad revels in the thrill of creating fear
through such imagery, and the titles of "Phantom Limb Masturbation"
and "Raped In Hatred By Vines Of Thorn" - which references seminal
horror movie Evil Dead - let the fans know what they're in for. Additionally,
with opener "In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me", for the first time
Strnad directly tackles the infamous unsolved 1947 murder case that the band
drew their name from. "There's been allusions before, but this is the
first time we've gone at it full on. It's written from the point of view of
Elizabeth Short's killer attending her funeral anonymously to kind of get his
jollies, and reflecting on his relationship with her. She's his trophy in a
way, and really the murder itself is symbolic of the death of the American
Dream. She was an actress who moved to California
with stars in her eyes, and her murder was so brutal and perverse, and brought
so many seedy underground elements into the light. It really signifies the
darkening of the times in the States, where a more violent era was ushered in.
I loved the imagery the first time I ever came across it, and I think fans will
be really excited by this song." Collectively, the songs are united under
the title of Everblack, a reference to the absolute coldness of death with no
afterlife to look forward to, and the unshakeable reality that comes from
knowing that ultimately everyone finds themselves alone in a pine box. This is
very much reflected in the unsettling yet beautiful artwork of Nicholas Keller,
who has helped truly root the album in the annals of old school death metal.
However, for Strnad the title has a second distinct and equally valid meaning.
"It's kind of a reference to the staying power and the re-energization of
the band having had these new guys come in, because they're so hungry and
excited to be here. It's saying we're still here. We're still The Black Dahlia
Murder, we're the band you know and love in spite of any changes. We are and
will continue to be Everblack."
That the release date of the album falls almost ten years to
the day the band's 2003 debut Unhallowed hit record stores is particularly
meaningful to Strnad, who admits he never could have imagined such an anniversary.
"All I wanted was to have one CD in my grubby hands and now this band has
gone worldwide. It's fucking amazing to be able to look back and see that this
is the same band born from the brotherhood Brian and I forged, and we've always
been thankful for everything that has come our way." It is also apparent
that they have no plans to quietly bow out any time soon. "For Brian and I
this band is a necessity at this point. We have to do this, and we want to be a
band like Cannibal Corpse or Napalm Death, when you can turn around and say you
see those guys right there? They're lifers. It's been such an awesome ride to
where we are now, and that hunger for more is perhaps the strongest it's ever
been."
The album starts with the track “In Hell Is Where She Waits
for Me,” where you are greeted by a nice heavy melodic riff and it picks up
after that. The fact that this track has a melodic feel but with an evil touch
the guitars create is incredible. It isn’t happy-go-lucky melodic, but more so
groovy demonic melodic. The solo is also great. The drumming in the next track,
“Goat of Departure,” is heavy and thrashy and there are great technical bits in
between melodic riffs. The snare roll and chugging guitars accompanied by the
chanting of “six six six” was badass, especially with the solo after. The song
takes a black metal turn after that which is amazing to me and was something I
wasn’t expecting from these guys. The guitars on “Into the Everblack” are
powerful and have a lot of brutality put in them, with the ambient keyboard added
to the gruelling atmosphere of this track. With lines like “descent imminent
bladder and bowels into pants” and “your weak religion dies with thee” it makes
this track a great mix of death and black metal topics.
“Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn” brought catchy melodic
and technical parts. For being a track about being pregnant, as well as being
raped by thorny vines, the guitars seem a little too melodic but if I didn’t
have the lyrics up I wouldn’t have guessed how gnarly they were. The next track
“Phantom Limb Masturbation” is all about the brutal death metal and with a
track title like that, I’d expect nothing less. I’m not entirely sure what the
lyrics mean, but from what I gather I think it’s about a guy getting sexual
pleasure from having his limbs amputated and then maybe masturbating with those
limbs, but don’t quote me on that. I enjoy how nasty the lyrics are, it makes
the tracks even better. The guitars have a great mix of heavy and dirty riffs
as well as nice melodic bits and an awesome solo. Keeping with the great brutal
riffs and catchy melodic is the next track, “Control.” My favourite line has to
be “animated fuckdolls, warm bodies with holes,” I couldn’t stop laughing when
I read that. The guitars take a groovy turn about half way through and the solo
after that is good with another one after a melodic bit.
The next track, “Blood Mine” seems to be all about the heavy melodic and
solos which is fine by me. The way they pull it off keeps me entertained and a
little break from brutality isn’t too bad. I got a blackened death feel from “Every
Rope a Noose” with the drums never letting up as well as the way the guitars
and vocals flowed. It is a overall demonic track and definitely has to be my
favourite track, as it shows off the drums potential as well as one of the best
guitar solos on the album. The speed and melodic capability of the guitarists
on “Their Beloved Absentee” are really and the blast beats are beastly as well.
A slam style bit about a little over half way through, with a solo to follow it
up were awesome. This is a nice rounded track, with all the great aspects this
album has shown so far. To end the album we have probably the greatest lyrical
content I’ve seen on the entirety of the album. “Map of Scars” is about two
girls without fathers and with deadbeat mothers who seem to be lovers and also
self mutilators, what more do you want? The guitars are very menacing but also
have a melodic touch which is also quite dark sounding, definitely the best way
to end an album.
Having not listening to The Black Dahlia Murder in quite
some time, I was not sure what I was diving into. To my surprise they were more
brutal than I was expecting and also had a hint of black metal influence which
also had me interested. The album from start to finish is a masterpiece
musically and lyrically and they definitely left me wanting more. This is an
album that I will play every day for the rest of my life and it made me want to
keep my eye on The Black Dahlia Murder from now on.
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