I always felt a little sad for the Black Dahlia Murder crew. Despite releasing a torrent of respectable albums chock full of big riffs, just-shy-of-blast-beat drumming, fluid solos and violent screams, the band kept getting shafted by the metal elite. For some reason, BDM was shackled with the term “metalcore,” an unfair tag that put them in the same category as horrific musical mistakes like The Devil Wears Prada or Avenged Sevenfold. Over time, Black Dahlia Murder has gained more acceptance from the chest-thumping metal purists, but they never arrived the way I felt they should. Perhaps now, with the release of Everblack, they can buck the WARPED Tour stigma.
Everblack is a machine gun blast of an album. BDM don’t dabble in subtlety. Instead, they click their particular brand of death metal into the magazine, release the safety, and fire bursts of savagery on the unsuspecting metal masses. Opening with the brilliantly titled “In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me,” BDM attempt to lull you into a false sense of security with a calming rainstorm. HA! New drummer Alan Cassidy smashes right through that with a bullet-perfect snare roll. From there, guitarists Ryan Knight and Brian Eschbach attempt to discover just how many riffs they can cram into one song.
While never one to waste time, BDM have carved the fat off the land with Everblack. The songs grab hold instantly and never stop shaking you. The riffs hit their sweet spot right off the bat without lengthy, involved intros or sudden, artsy bridges and breakdowns, Black Dahlia Murder stomp all over your bones from start to finish.
That’s not to say their opposed to changing it up. “Raped In Hatred By Vines Of Thorn,” steps back on BDM’s full-on assault, allowing melody to whisper through the darkness. Black Dahlia Murder really seem to enjoy tinkering with the stringent rules of death metal. “Control” conjures up a riff more akin to eighties thrash than the bowel-moving triumph of straight death metal. “Map Of Scars” even manages to work in hints of prog-rock, especially with the main riff.
Another gut-buster jam is “Phantom Limb Masturbation.” BDM show their absolute love and dedication to classic death metal here. The riffs are pummeling, playing right alongside the crashing drums at breakneck speed. Any death metal fan that wants to question BDM’s credibility needs to sit down and have their faces ripped off by “Phantom Limb Masturbation.”
Want creepy? Try the drunken choir kicking off “Their Beloved Amputee.” Launching from the creepy choir, Black Dahlia Murder hit again with a rapid-fire stride of riffage. This is another song elevated by the sweet drumming of Alan Cassidy, who chooses to open the drums up at select points. Instead of just matching the speed, Cassidy throws rolls and fills into the song that would make Dave Lombardo jealous.
Are there problems with Everblack? Sure – mainly the production, which sucks. I have no idea what possesses BDM to compress the hell out of everything they record, but it’s become a calling card. As good as the songs are, they come across entirely too slick, and almost completely without bottom end. New bassist Max Lavelle might be the greatest bassist ever, or he might not ever plug in. How the hell could you tell with production like this? I want Black Dahlia Murder to step into the studio with Kurt Ballou or Billy Anderson, or somebody who will force them to explore the joys of bottom end. I also don’t care for Trevor Strnad’s vocals, which is more of a personal thing. Over the years, I’ve grown incredibly bored with this style of screaming, so as soon as I hear it, I tune out.
Nitpicks aside, I’m really impressed with the hunger behind Everblack. Most bands producing this kind of work are on their first or second album. BDM is six albums in and still sound like they just got signed. Perhaps the constant badgering from the Slayer-shirt-and-camo-shorts crowd helped to strengthen their resolve. Even with the new players, Everblack is seamless. Knight, who is on his third Black Dahlia Murder album, seems more confident in his playing. The songwriting is still chaotic and complex, but manages to have a certain humanity to it. So many death metal bands sacrifice that humanity for speed. Both Knight and Eschbach manage to squeeze speed and feel out of their six-string assault.
Hate on Black Dahlia Murder all you want. These boys command respect, and Everblack is an album that can go toe to toe against the heaviest shit in their weight class.
