Since 2007's
Nocturnal, metal media darlings The Black Dahlia Murder have steadily dropped any premise of 'core from their sound and deftly shifted their sound into leaner (physically and sonically!), meaner, blacker pastures with positive results. Other than the slight stumble of 2009s
Deflorate, the band has readily added a more slicing, deadlier presence and tone, culminating in 2011s
Ritual, arguably the band's most complete, ripping effort. But here we are with album number 6,
Everblack, adorned with the same sort of foreboding black/death metal cover as
Nocturnal (courtesy of Nick Keller), and an album that again raises the bar for the band, now making them easily on of the US scene's most consistent bands, despite the hosts of naysayers among the grumpier, old school, 'true' metal community. Now don't get me wrong, I am far from a The Black Dahlia Murder fan boy, as I have long been a detractor of the US's scene's obsession with At The Gates styled metal, a style TBDM were the primary purveyors of early in their career. However, with the band morphing into a much more sinister, purer black /death metal act akin to Necrophobic and such, their sound has been less cliches and aped, and much more unique. Not in a 'wow, I have never heard this style before', but more of a 'wow, Black Dahlia murder sound like their own band now'.
On
Everblack, the first thing I noticed, is the burlier, beefier production, the stoutest and earthiest the band has had in their career. It complements the band's more serious tone, pace and themes perfectly, bristling with intensity, yet unequivocally American, despite the band's new found, blacker Scandinavian sheen. Song wise, the band has fully honed in on a plethora of Swedish and Norwegian peers, dropping any breakdowns and any
Miasma -ish hijinks. This is a blistering, menacing and calculated release from a band that, despite being a real unit mover for Metal Blade and killer live band, seems to always be fighting the critics- myself included. And now they seem more focused than ever before on real songs and a real presence (I don't see any any more ape costumes or goofy promo shoots in their future) . Joining only remaining original members Trevor Strnad (vocals) and Brian Eschbach (guitars) is former Arsis guitarist Ryan Knight who after 3 albums has fully settled in as John Kempainen's replacement, adding some melodic flourishes and solos to the fray (i.e "Control", "Blood Mine"), and new drummer Allan Cassidy (ex The Breathing Process and ex Abigail Williams) continues the bands rotating drum line up along with new bassist Max Lavelle (ex Despised Icon, ex- Burn in Silence). And despite this completely revamped (again) rhythm section, the album contains some of the band's most mature, developed and intense material they have penned. The likes of closing duo of "Their Beloved Absentee", "Map of Scars" (complete with epic synth laden fade out), as well as early standouts "In Hell is Where She Waits For Me" (where the new production really shines),"Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn", "Goat of Departure" and epic "Into the Everblack" drip with intensity and bad intentions. I have enjoyed watching these guys grow and mature. I interviewed them back in 2004 before
Miasma dropped and they came across like a group of naive kids just having fun. Now they are a seasoned veteran leader of the US metal scene, and appear to be acting like it, as well as delivering albums benefiting of their metal and physical maturation . My only reservation is that the band don't go all Abigail Williams and simply drench all of their music in keyboards and lose their American identity trying to be the next Dimmu Borgir as they transition further into black metal.