The Black Dahlia Murder is back with their first new music since the tragic passing of vocalist Trevor Strnad in 2022, "Aftermath". The single comes from The Black Dahlia Murder's upcoming album Servitude due out on September 27.
All the new music features Brian Eschbach moving over from guitar to absolutely crushing vocals, and is also the band's first with guitarist Ryan Knight since Abysmal in 2015. As for the single itself, holy shit – The Black Dahlia Murder is doing Trevor's memory justice while simultaneously putting out some fucking killer death metal.
"Everyone that's in the band now is someone that Trevor and I searched for," said Eschbach. "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."
On moving over from guitar to vocals, and the single "Aftermath", Esbach offered: "I just had to lean into it hard. 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.
"We wanted ['Aftermath'] to be heard first because it's one of the faster songs on the album, if not the fastest. 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."
The guitars, bass and vocals for Servitude were recorded at guitarist Brandon Ellis' home studio in New Jersey. The drums were recorded by Mark Lewis in Nashville, where Ellis and Lewis also mixed the album. Servitude was mastered by Ted Jensen.
"Following Trevor's legacy, Servitude of course marks the beginning of a new era of The Black Dahlia Murder," Ellis says. "With Brian now taking up the torch, his personality as an inspired lyricist and vocalist shines bright-he knows well what the music needs. Ryan Knight's return to the band adds a third but familiar guitarist to the writing team, as well as allowing for a twin lead guitar element that the band never previously had. This all opens new terrain creatively. Where some doors have closed, new doors have opened."
