[Photo by Marshall Wieczorek]
Death Metal band The Black Dahlia Murder have announced that they will release their tenth studio album, Servitude, on September 27th, 2024 via Metal Blade Records, and have revealed the record’s first single, “Aftermath” alongside a video.
With the tragic passing of the band’s frontman and co-founder Trevor Strnad in 2022, co-founder Brian Eschbach, bassist Max Lavelle, drummer Alan Cassidy, and producer/guitarist Brandon Ellis were faced with the decision of whether to close the doors on their story or carry on in Strnad’s spirit.
Eschbach says:
Everyone that’s in the band now is someone that Trevor and I searched for. 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.
After a period soul-searching, Eschbach moved from guitar to vocals. Former band member Ryan Knight returned to take Eschbach’s place on guitar. The new lineup made their debut in TBDM’s hometown of Detroit in late October 2022 for a tribute show for Strnad.
Regarding the new album, Eschbach had to dive into his new role:
I just had to lean into it hard. Honestly, writing the lyrics for this album was easier for me than writing the music for the three songs that I wrote music for. I’d pick a subject, research it, and just kinda dive in. Even though it’s not something I’d really ever done before, there was a natural flow to it once I started.
The single “Aftermath,”envisions a “post-apocalyptic cannibal scenario” after a global catastrophe.
Eschbach reflects:
We wanted that one to be heard first because it’s one of the faster songs on the album, if not the fastest. We wanted that very aggressive BLACK DAHLIA melodic death metal feel coming right at you. Lyrically, it’s about a meteor that fucks up the whole planet, but there’s still people living. Kind of like The Walking Dead, but with no zombies-so you get right to how people deal with it. And by the end, they’re eating each other.
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Live:
6/14/2024 Z! Live Rock Fest – Zamora, ES
6/16/2024 Download Donington – Park, UK
6/17/2024 Limelight – Belfast, UK
6/18/2024 Opium – Dublin, IE
6/20/2024 Arch Club – Athens, GR
6/21/2024 Block 33 – Thessaloniki, GR
6/23/2024 Graspop – Dessel, BE
6/24/2024 Hirsch – Nuremberg, DE w/ Suffocation
6/25/2024 The Black Lab – Lille, FR w/ Suffocation
6/26/2024 Im Wizemann – Stuttgart, DE w/ Shadow Of Intent
6/27/2024 Mergener – Hof Trier, DE
6/28/2024 Club Vaudeville – Lindau, DE w/ Suffocation
6/29/2024 Jera On Air – Ysselsteyn, NL
6/30/2024 Hellfest – Clisson, FR
7/31/2024 Rockstadt Extreme Fest – Brasov, RO
8/02/2024 Dortmund Deathfest – Dortmund, DE
8/03/2024 Wacken Open Air – Wacken, DE
8/04/2024 Full Rewind – Roitzschjora, DE
8/06/2024 Lifestyle Café – Cham, DE
8/07/2024 Brutal Assault – Jaromer, CZ
8/08/2024 Party San Open Air – Schlotheim, DE
8/09/2024 Szene – Wien, AT
8/10/2024 Menza Pri Koritu – Ljubljana, SI
8/11/2024 Slaughter Club – Milano, IT
8/13/2024 Rockhouse – Salzburg, AT
8/14/2024 Kiff – Aarau, CH
8/15/2024 Summer Breeze – Dinkelsbuhl, DE
8/16/2024 Reload Festival – Sulingen, DE
8/17/2024 Chinasstraat – Gent, BE w/ Decapitated
8/18/2024 Motocultor – Carhaix, FR
