The Black Dahlia Murder are back with Verminous their latest album, due for release on April 17th. Verminous is the second album with new guitarist Brandon Ellis and the follow up to 2017’s Nightbringers. Verminous will be the 9th studio release from these melodeath masters who are about to turn the page on a 20-year career with these 10 crushing tracks. The band has been known for their own brand of melodic death metal fusing the Gothenburg style of death metal made famous by bands like In Flames and At the Gates, and putting their own spin on the music.
Right out of the gates, The Black Dahlia Murder get to the macabre with the opening track and lead single from the album ‘Verminous’. The Black Dahlia Murder are known for kicking off their albums with intros that carry an ominous feel to starttheir album. This song is no different with a grandiose intro before bringing the shred with a quick paced thrash riff. Vocalist Trevor Strnad, doesn’t waste any time getting right to it with his blend of screeching vocals and lows. This song has it all, fast thrash, technical riffs, screams and growls, all accompanied by the furious drumming of Alan Cassidy before dropping out into the rest of the album.
A song that caught my ear is ‘How Very Dead’, this song starts off with a melodic lead. The song then turns into this churning amalgamation of heavy guitar riffs and syncopated drums just building off each other. The song churns and churns which is a moshers dream before the solo hits. Brandon Ellis shows off his chops with a rather tight and tasteful addition till the song finishes.
Verminous is a different feel for the band with the song writing for me. The songs seem to flow throughout with the melody than working on individual riffs to make the music interesting. The guitar work is very fast and technical bringing in flashes of grind and thrash throughout the songs. The vocals are the staple of this band, as Trevor continue to drop solid material which spans from vampire lore to the macabre in his signature screams. This is a matured Black Dahlia Murder with sparks of their past work showing up here and there throughout. If you are a fan of the band or are looking for new music to get you by during quarantine this is an album which will get you by. Look for Verminous to be out on April 17th in your local music stores and streaming on all platforms.
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