The Black Dahlia Murder

Still riding high on waves of acclaim for their rabidly-received DVD spectacle Majesty, Michigan’s unstoppable sons of molten melodic death metal The Black Dahlia Murder triumphantly bring you their fourth thrashing opus Deflorate. An epic expansion of the stunning pitch-black cacophony that was 2007’s Nocturnal, Deflorate boasts Black Dahlia’s brand of seamlessly-mixed Swedish influenced blackened thrash and pounding American death metal muscle, and sees one of metal’s most outstanding underground outfits at the peak of its unmitigated musical brutality. “We’re more confident than ever,” declares vocalist Trevor Strnad of Deflorate. “I think as a band we really found our footing on Nocturnal. This time, we’ve taken this beast to the next level.” The new album sees the songwriting expertise of band leader and rhythm guitarist Brian Eschbach at its most polished and punishing, exponentially complimented by collaboration with both bass savant Ryan “Bart” Williams and newcomer guitarist Ryan Knight (ex-Arsis), whose blistering leads will dazzle and decimate the ears of both loyal Black Dahlia diehards and burgeoning fans alike. “Brian is the backbone of the band,” professes Trevor. “all of Nocturnal was him. To have the other band members bring such amazing music to the table has only brought the band up even higher with Deflorate.” Add the dynamic demon-shrieks and corpse-growls of Strnad, and the warlike percussion of rising extreme drumming star Shannon Lucas, and you have a brilliant and bloodthirsty band of brothers ready to cut a swath through the metal scene with a fearsome new offering. Since the 2007 release of Nocturnal, the Black Dahlia death machine has continued to ascend through the ranks of the extreme music scene, perfecting its craft and dominating the world over with relentless touring. The band headlined the 2008 Summer Slaughter tour alongside death metal heavyweights including Vader, Cryptopsy, Aborted, Kataklysm, and Psycroptic,.; soon after, they toured the US with Children of Bodom and Between The Buried and Me. It was during Black Dahlia’s Canadian tour in December 2008 that guitarist John Kempainen left the band due to his waning desire to live the life of a permanently touring musician. His spot was filled soon afterwards by Ryan Knight, solidifying the band’s most cohesive roster to date. “This is the line-up we’ve always wanted,” says Strnad. “We’re out there celebrating our victories, but always wanting more, never settling. There are no exceptions in this band. These are the guys who wake up and say, ‘This band is the first thing I’m going to think about. Then, everything else.’” In May of 2009, the Black Dahlia Murder released their first DVD, Majesty, a two-disc collection featuring the band’s assembled music videos, reams engrossing live footage, and a two-hour documentary on the band. Majesty debuted on the Billboard Top Music Video Charts at #2 in the US and #5 in Canada, and remained on the charts for its first six weeks on the shelf—a triumph for any metal band, much less one as uncompromising as the Black Dahlia Murder. “A place on the Billboard Charts is a huge honor,” affirms Strnad. “It’s a statement not only for us, but for the whole underground. We’re talking about extreme metal here. I think Barbara Streisand was the only artist to beat us out!” Revolver Magazine gave Majesty a 5/5 star review, hailing it as “an enthralling examination of one of America’s best extreme bands.” Now, the Motor City melodic metal marauders gear up for this summer’s Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest alongside previous tourmates Cannibal Corpse and thrash metal titans Slayer. “We love metal,” professes Strnad. “We want to spread the word. A tour this big is an awesome opportunity, especially for a death metal band like us.” Recorded at the famed Audiohammer Studios by production wizard Jason Suecof (DevilDriver, Trivium, Job For A Cowboy, Daath) and engineering talent Mark Lewis (Trivium, Bury Your Dead, All That Remains), Deflorate is multifaceted death trip: beautiful, evil, and morbidly addicting. The Black Dahlia Murder’s fourth thrashing epic sees no punch pulled, no gravestone unturned, no soul uncorrupted. Guard your precious innocence all you like, it will do you no good—Deflorate is here. Current line-up: Brian Eschbach: Guitar Ryan Knight: Guitar (ex-Arsis) Trevor Strnad: Vocals Bart Williams: Bass (ex-Today I Wait) Shannon Lucas: Drums (ex-All That Remains, Mensrea) Past members: Nick Combs - Vocals David Lock - Bass Jon Deering - Bass (From the Shallows) Cory Grady- Drums (Premonitions of War) Zach Gibson (Abigail Williams, Gutrot, ex-Mutilated, In Battle Array) Pierre Langlois - Drums John Kempainen - Guitar