The Black Dahlia Murder have announced that they will release a new album, Servitude on September 27 via Metal Blade Records. The tenth full-length of the band's career will be the first since the tragic passing of frontman Trevor Strnad.
The album announcement arrives accompanied by the lead single Aftermath, which is streaming now and will be complemented by a video that is set to premiere at 2 am AEST tomorrow.
Speaking on the decision to release a new album, co-founder Brian Eschbach comments “Before the tragedy, no one ever thought this band was going to exist without Trevor.” “Everyone that’s in the band now is someone that Trevor and I searched for,” Eschbach continues “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.”
With the tragic passing of the band’s frontman and co-founder Trevor Strnad in 2022, Eschbach, bassist Max Lavelle, drummer Alan Cassidy, and producer/guitarist Brandon Ellis were faced with a decision: Close the door on one of the most beloved death metal bands of the last twenty years, or carry on in their fallen brother’s charismatic spirit?
After a period of profound grief and deep soul-searching, Eschbach moved from guitar to vocals, setting aside his lifelong identity as a live guitarist for the survival of the band. Former member Ryan Knight returned to the fold 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.
Fast forward to right about now and the new album is one that many would have thought impossible. Servitude marks Eschbach’s recorded debut as lead vocalist and lyricist—and the record is their first with Knight on guitar since 2015’s Abysmal.
“I just had to lean into it hard,” Eschbach says of approaching Servitude in a completely new role. “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.”
You can hear the thrilling results on Aftermath, the ripping lead single, which envisions a post-apocalyptic cannibal scenario. “We wanted that one to be heard first because it’s one of the faster songs on the album, if not the fastest,” Eschbach says. “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 members of The Black Dahlia Murder know that some will be sceptical of an album without Trevor’s inimitable presence. But many fans have already embraced the band’s decision to move forward.
“More than pressures or expectations from the fanbase, I feel their trust and support,” Ellis says. “We've always done what we do for them, and they've appreciated our consistency over the years. The global outcry following Trevor's passing has shown us how important the band's music has been to so many people, and how important it is that we continue in his honor. Under all that weight, I think we all knew what needed to be done.” “We put in everything we had, and this is the album that felt right to make,” he adds. “I'm proud of it and proud of the five of us. You can never please everybody, but I know that this music will be a healing and positive force for those who embrace it!”
The guitars, bass and vocals for Servitude were recorded at Ellis’ home studio in New Jersey. The drums were recorded by Mark Lewis in Nashville, Tennessee where the album was also mixed. Servitude was mastered by Ted Jensen.
Servitude
Track Listing:
1. Evening Ephemeral
2. Panic Hysteric
3. Aftermath
4. Cursed Creator
5. An Intermission
6. Asserting Dominion
7. Servitude
8. Mammoth's Hand
9. Transcosmic Blueprint
10. Utopia Black
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