THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will release its tenth studio album, “Servitude”, on September 27 via Metal Blade Records. The official animated music video for the LP’s second single, “Mammoth’s Hand”, created by Marco Pavone, can be streamed below.
“Mammoth’s Hand” is partly inspired by a scene from Don Coscarelli‘s 1982 swords ‘n’ sorcery epic “The Beastmaster”.
“We usually like to give some idea of what kind of diversity is gonna be on the album with the first two tracks we release,” THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER vocalist Brian Eschbach offers. “[Guitarist] Ryan Knight wrote the music for this, and the slow rhythm made me think of these barbaric warriors riding mammoths out in the snow or that scene from ‘The Beastmaster’ when the Jun horde takes the village.”
Eschbach further elaborates: “‘Mammoth’s Hand’ is a romp through a fictitious frozen tundra in which a clan of nomadic mammoth riding cannibals conquer villages in a time devoid of technology. The slow groove of this song is a vibe not often implemented by the group but immediately inspired a vision in my mind of a slow moving yet gigantic and powerful beast of antagonistic nature.”
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?
“Everyone that’s in the band now is someone that Trevor and I searched for,” Eschbach says. “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.”
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 THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER member Ryan Knight returned to the fold to take Eschbach‘s place on guitar. The new lineup made their debut in the band’s hometown of Detroit in late October 2022 for a tribute show for Strnad.
Fast forward to right about now: THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s new album is the one that many would have thought impossible. “Servitude” marks Eschbach‘s recorded debut as THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s lead vocalist and lyricist — and 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.”
Watch THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER‘s video for “Aftermath”, created by My Good Eye: Music Visuals, below.
The members of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER know that some will be skeptical 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‘s 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” will be released on digipak CD, cassette and digital formats as well as vinyl.
“Servitude” track listing:
01. Evening Ephemeral
02. Panic Hysteric
03. Aftermath
04. Cursed Creator
05. An Intermission
06. Asserting Dominion
07. Servitude
08. Mammoth’s Hand
09. Transcosmic Blueprint
10. Utopia Black
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will join DYING FETUS for a North American co-headlining tour this fall. The “Beg To Serve 2024” tour will commence on October 3 in Cleveland, Ohio and make its way through over two dozen cities, the journey coming to a close on November 10 in Chicago, Illinois. Support will be provided by SPITE, ANGELMAKER and VOMIT FORTH.
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER is:
Brian Eschbach – lead vocals
Max Lavelle – bass
Alan Cassidy – drums
Brandon Ellis – lead guitar, backing vocals
Ryan Knight – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Photo by Marshall Wieczorek