Album Review: The Black Dahlia Murder - Verminous
Reviewed by Tim Finch
From the cacophony of blast beats that open ‘Verminous’ through time the wonderfully thrashy guitars that lead you into the album pen full, as a listener you are immediately dragged into The Black Dahlia Murders new album and it is immediately obvious this band are back!
The bands ninth studio album is their first for three years as the band regrouped following their last album/tour cycle and then headed back to the studio to record this latest opus. Having built the foundations for their own legacy, this latest release is now the opportunity to grow that legacy yet further.
The drums recorded at The Pipeyard in Plymouth, Michigan’s whilst everything else was recorded in the home studio of guitarist Brandon Ellis in New Jersey. This combination is possibly the only downside to the album, which at times feels like the drums are a little detached from everything else.
As a whole the albums is a wondrous display of technical death metal, from the assault and battery of ‘Godlessly’ to the technical wizardry on ‘The Wereworm’s Feast’. Throughout the band keep the listener on the edge of their seat with duelling guitar majesty and the haunting vocals of Trevor Strnad this album is a beast. All topped off with the anthemic ’Dawn of Rats’ and dark and devilish as it is adrenaline fuelled, fist pumping action.
In Verminous The Black Dahlia Murder have delivered that next level album every fan had been waiting for. It offers a growth in depth and technicality from previous releases and shows the band will be destroying our ear drums for years to come.
'Verminous' is released on Metal Blade Records on April 17th.
