THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER „“Nocturnal””

Music: Death Metal
Country: U.S.A.
Web site: www.blackdahliamurder.org
Cool Songs: Nocturnal, War Born, Deathmask Divine

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER has always been fans of classic death and black metal bands. It has been this way since the band’s inception in 2001. The death metal influence has consistently been obvious in the group’s sound. Until now, TBDM’s overall style could be described as a mix of American death metal, Gothenburg, Sweden melodic death, and hardcore. The blending of these styles led many to dub the group as deathcore. With their recent release “Nocturnal” the shades of hardcore are wiped away, resulting in their blackest offering of their career.

The artwork on “Nocturnal” immediately sets the dark vibe persistent throughout the album. The vibrant hues of purple and blue are reminiscent of EMPEROR’ “The Nightside Eclipse.” These similarities are not a coincidence for the artwork comes courtesy of Kristian Whalin who, did in deed, paint “The Nightside Eclipse,” as well as creating DARK TRANQUILITY “The Gallery,” DARK FUNERAL “Secrets of the Black Arts,” and AT THE GATES “Slaughter of the Soul.”

The cover’s horror, graphic novel feel also seeps in the lyrics. “What a terrible night to have a curse” is a quote taken from the vintage Nintendo video game “Castlevania II: Simon’s Curse,” and seems vampirically driven. Although not all tracks contain stories of vampires, the blood-hungry creatures of the night seem to dominate the album conceptually. Lead growler, Trevor Strnad’s lyrics are unquestionably his best. Each song tells a ghoulish tale, sparing no gory details. “Deathmask Divine” is a tale of obsessive love and occult science. The opening line sets a grotesque tone, “Removal of the eyes gives my heart a saddened chill.” In true black metal fashion, “Warborn” paints a picture of a man with historic hate for Christianity, ending with the lines: “An era of Inhuman tragedy to be ushered by my iron hand/the ovens bellowed to crematory highs to dispose of the God fearing man.”

Lyrics like the above served as a great motivator in creating TBDM’s harshest album. “Nocturnal” is an unrelenting barrage of death metal, thrash and black metal rhythms. Drummer Shannon Lucas wastes no time with simple rock beats. Lucas sets the blistering pace, starting with the rapid drum rolls on “Everything Went Black” at the album’s onset to the kick drum dynamics of “Warborn.” “To a Breathless Oblivion” and the title track show the band’s black metal influence with emotive, cross-picked guitar riffs and Brain Eschbach raising the pitch of his death vocals. By utilizing this vocal technique, Escbach’s voice is more up front, sounding much sicker. Strnad’s voice is slightly higher, too, like an incarnation of Chuck Schuldiner of DEATH.

“Nocturnal” is more extreme than TBDM’s prior releases in about every aspect. The song writing, lyrics, speed, and riffs all show improvement and a fondness for classic death and black metal. They haven’t forgotten the melodic death side, though. Nope, this style still comprises the core of their sound. Even though the Swedish style is no longer novel, when TBDM creates such memorable fretwork on songs such as “Deathmask Divine,” it is hard not to bang your head. In addition, John Kempainen’s guitar solos come in at the right place and feature much harmony. Although “Nocturnal” sheds much of the band’s inclination towards metalcore breakdowns, their metalcore fans should still dig this album because it is still uniquely THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. This one might bring in a few more fervent death metal and fans of polished black metal as well.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

1. Everything Went Black
2. What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
3. Virally Yours
4. I Worship Only What You Bleed
5. Nocturnal
6. Deathmask Divine
7. Of Darkness Spawned
8. Climactic Degradation
9. To a Breathless Oblivion
10. Warborn
Total playing time 34:36

Line-up

Brian Eschbach – Guitar
John Kempainen – Guitar
Trevor Strnad – Vocals
Bart Williams – Bass
Shannon Lucas – Drums