“What can I getcha?”
“Ummm. I’ll have some ripping death metal. But hold the tomatoes and lettuce.”
I’m not trying to put some heaviness into my mouth with nutritious stuff in there; Hell no! But when it comes to heavy, we have a new serving because THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER (TBDM) is back with a new album called Servitude (Metal Blade Records) which has 10 tracks of neck-wrecking fury guaranteed to drop a hammer on you with quickness.
A Moment to Reflect
Now, before we go any further, I want to take moment here and talk about Jorel Xavier Sanchez, better known as JOR-EL. He was a great friend who also wrote for my late publication, Amps & Green Screens. Sadly, Jor-El passed away on May 13, 2023, but those in the metal community will long remember his work as a founder of TBDM’s official fan club, The Blast Fiends. Jor-El and I attended many shows, and his write-ups were awesome, but above all he was a great person and a true metal fan.
Shortly after his passing, I reached out to his fiance, an awesome woman named Ash Trent. I wanted her blessing to review the new TBDM album because I felt that Jor-El needed to be included in this one—he deserves it. However, the last thing I wanted to do was upset or offend Ash or any of Jor-El’s friends or family. RIP, Jor-El. You are missed by many!
Servitude
So let’s talk about Servitude.
The entire album is fantastic, with all 10 songs coming at you with a vengeance, hellbent on busting your damn head open. From the start, “Asserting Dominion” commanded its position as my favorite with the band just firing on all cylinders.
“Mammoth’s Hand” and “Transcomic Blueprint” also stand tall as tracks that blew my hair back from the first note to the last. The album-closing “Utopia Black” brings a sledgehammer down on listeners, but in a good way, I promise.
Look, I know that I haven’t mentioned the untimely death of Trevor Strnad, and more than two years later, many of us are still hurting from it. But, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER has decided to carry on in his honor with Brian Eschbach on the mic.
I, for one, can think of no better way to honor his legacy.
STANDOUT TRACKS: ALL OF THEM
– THE MAESTRO
