‘As the silken robes of sodomy fell vacant at your feet’
I pick up the story after these immortal words were gifted to us by the late Trevor Strnad, and now we salute the band for regrouping after what had been an horrendous experience, a tragedy of our time.
Brian Eschbach moved from guitar to vocals, a hefty undertaking but one that he has immersed himself into quite seamlessly. Ryan Knight returns for rhythm guitar duties, Max Lavelle is on bass, Alan Cassidy on drums and Brandon Ellis is on lead guitar, a solid team of musicians that have advanced out of circumstances that were incredibly desperate.
‘Why god have you turned blind eye’
Taken from the lead single ‘Aftermath’ these words are uttered out of frustration, religion is a vehicle to promote good behaviour and morals, lest we face the wrath of God. When we see destruction all around, we question the existence of a merciful god, we question who we are praying to and for what reason.
‘Existence maybe a gift, but ever-entwined with suffering’
We revisit Frankenstein’s monster in ‘Cursed Creator’ I love the words
‘Disgusted, afraid, you turned your back on what you made’ they are caustic, purposefully hurtful and riddled with an honesty borne out of exasperation.
I don’t usually do the ‘Album of the Year’ list, this year is the exception, it is this one, and this one only. How the band managed to pick themselves up, get into a studio and record this, is a tribute to their professionalism and their worth. I only knew Trevor like most fans, through our online chats, I talked to him about cats, as we both had them. That brief interaction will live with me forever, and I will never get over his passing. A giant of a man, warm hearted, generous and humble, qualities we should all aspire to.
‘We’ve reached across space and time, to plant these seeds in their minds’
With their tenth album we see the return of a band that have constantly produced top tier musicianship. The melodic aspects underpin the heavier sounds that TBDM are known for. They are exquisite pops of flavour and colour on a palette that is generally black and grey. There is a notable strength and confidence, seen in the video for ‘Panic Hysteric’ harking back to the days we hold dear. There is no dampening of spirit; bands can evolve, if we let them, bands can heal if we let them. This way we get to keep the bands we love, be considerate of their decisions and be proud of the indelible mark they leave on our lives. Their scars visible or otherwise, are something we will share, each of us with our own personal memory. We can only imagine the weight they are carrying, and we hold out our hands to help them on their journey ahead.
After all is said and done, who will be standing in the aftermath? Now do it, drop the fucking match.
Azra Pathan
The Black Dahlia Murder – Servitude out now via Metal Blade Records
For Trevor.