The Black Dahlia Murder will release their tenth studio album, Servitude, on September 27th through Metal Blade Records. The band also shared the first single from the album and opened preorders.
“Before the tragedy, no one ever thought this band would continue without Trevor.”
That’s Brian Eschbach, co-founder of The Black Dahlia Murder, speaking about the loss of the band’s frontman, Trevor Strnad, who passed away in 2022. After Trevor’s death, Eschbach, bassist Max Lavelle, drummer Alan Cassidy, and guitarist/producer Brandon Ellis had a tough decision to make: should they end the band, or keep going in honor of their fallen friend?
“Everyone in the band now is someone Trevor and I handpicked,” Eschbach says. “We’ve spent so much time together that we all understand what we’re about. We don’t need to talk about it. We just need to make great music and make people happy.”
After going through a period of deep grief, Eschbach decided to take on the role of lead vocalist, stepping away from his lifelong position as the band’s guitarist. Ryan Knight, a former member of The Black Dahlia Murder, came back to play guitar. The new lineup had their first performance in Detroit in October 2022 at a tribute show for Trevor.
Fast forward to now: The Black Dahlia Murder’s new album, Servitude, is something many thought would never happen. It marks Eschbach’s debut as the band’s lead vocalist and lyricist, and it’s their first album with Knight on guitar since 2015’s Abysmal.
“I had to fully commit,” Eschbach says about taking on his new role. “Writing the lyrics for this album came easier to me than writing the music for the three songs I contributed. I would pick a topic, research it, and dive in. Even though I hadn’t done it before, it felt natural once I started.”
You can hear the results on the lead single, “Aftermath,” which tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where people are forced to turn to cannibalism. “We wanted this song to be heard first because it’s one of the fastest on the album,” Eschbach says. “It has that aggressive Black Dahlia Murder feel. Lyrically, it’s about a meteor that messes up the whole planet, but some people survive. It’s like The Walking Dead without zombies—so it’s all about how people deal with it, and by the end, they’re eating each other.”
Watch the video for “Aftermath,” created by My Good Eye: Music Visuals
The members of The Black Dahlia Murder know that some fans might be skeptical about an album without Trevor’s unique presence. However, many fans have already supported the band’s decision to continue.
“More than pressure from the fans, 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 reaction to Trevor’s passing showed us how important the band’s music is to so many people, and how important it is for us to keep going in his honor. Under all that weight, I think we all knew what we had to do.”
“We gave it everything we had, and this is the album we needed to make,” he adds. “I’m proud of it and proud of the five of us. You can’t please everyone, but I believe 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. Ted Jensen mastered the album.
Servitude will be available on digipak CD, cassette, digital formats, and vinyl in several color variants and special editions.
Servitude Track Listing:1. Evening Ephemeral2. Panic Hysteric3. Aftermath4. Cursed Creator5. An Intermission6. Asserting Dominion7. Servitude8. Mammoth’s Hand9. Transcosmic Blueprint10. Utopia Black
The Black Dahlia Murder Members:Brian Eschbach – lead vocalsMax Lavelle – bassAlan Cassidy – drumsBrandon Ellis – lead guitar, backing vocalsRyan Knight – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
The Black Dahlia Murder:
Metal Blade Records:
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