When Trevor Strnad died in 2022, the very existence of the Black Dahlia Murder was thrust into mystery, and rightfully so. Strnad not only was one of the unique voices in death metal, he was believer, a man who held aloft the banner of his chosen style and worked to help younger bands he felt had what it takes. His loss was devastating. It remains that way.

When the band decided to forge ahead, with long-time guitarist and founding member Brian Eschbach as vocalist, it remained to be seen if that was the right call. Live shows happened, and the enthusiasm started to build. The band—rounded out by guitarists Brandon Ellis and the returning Ryan Knight, bassist Max Lavelle, and drummer—stood to pay tribute to their fallen friend, which they did with those first performances, but the real evidence came in form of their 10^th record “Servitude,” an album that seemed unlikely a couple years ago. To the band’s credit, it feels like they never left, and even the mammoth void Strnad left behind is filled capably by Eschbach. Never does he try to ape his friend’s work, but his vocals bear some resemblance, which makes his voice fit even better, and this is more than a worthy addition to a revered collection and surely would make Strnad proud with how his friends carried on.

“Evening Ephemeral” starts with waves crashing and what sounds like dulcimer passages before we head into terror, jarring open as Eschbach roars for the first time, keeping up a very similar clip as Strnad showed but with his own attitude and approach. It more than fits. Guitars open and swallow whole as the pressure gets gnarlier, the words mangling with blades, airy leads taking everything home. “Panic Hysteric” starts like classic TBDM, attacking as the vocals spiral with an endless fury, tricky hooks flooding and playing games with your mind. The path then gets more manic, matching its title, the growls smothering through a fire storm. “Aftermath” explodes,  Eschbach going for the throat with his animalistic growls, speed and savagery uniting to make a formidable pair. Leads soar as we head into a bendier attack, blows administered generously, bursting to a spirited finish. “Cursed Creator” is darker when it dawns, the vocals feeling a little grittier, humid guitars swelling and adding a near-lush quality to the melodies. Well, as lush as death metal can be. Guttural growls strike as the guitars crawl, the playing sprawling before coming to a properly metallic end. “An Intermission” is aptly named, a quick acoustic cut that’s awash with serenity that soon will be undone.

“Asserting Dominion” punishes, the screams strangling, melodies mixing in with a death crush that disorients and then picks up speed suddenly. The intensity is heavy as riffs zap, the howls encircle almost like the death drain on the cover, guitars glistening as the final veins rupture. The title track is punishing and relentless, ripping as Eschbach’s screams come at you like a mouthful of spat glass, even leaning a bit into black metal territory. The leads gash as the nastiness spikes, guitars crushing as everything succumbs to a dark exhaust. “Mammoth’s Hand” opens with gutting growls, trudging horror, and layered guitars that add layers of vicious power. Moody leads arrive and spread gloom, a reflective haze letting you bask in the bloodshed, curdling howls bringing everything to a weighty conclusion. “Transcosmic Blueprint” is another that feels right out of the classic TBDM playbook, the attack coming with a ferocity and tenacity that pack a jolting blow. The growls lay waste while the guitar interplay is infectious and burly, borderline playful, and the back end of the track storms and slashes its way through. Closer “Utopia Black” feels dark and doomy when it starts, the guitars chugging and then racing, the bubbling menace becoming incredibly morbid. Howls splatter, digging deep into the guts for pools of gastric acid, and the final gasps of carnage disappear back into the whirlpool claiming souls into the abyss.

Replacing a longtime member, especially one as beloved as Strnad, is not easy task, but TBDM knock this out of the park on “Servitude.” If anything, this record and this path with Eschbach singing was an even bigger undertaking because, if done wrong, could have destroyed a lot of good will. But you can tell this record was created with their hearts in the right place, with blades held in tribute to their fallen friend, and with a blaze burning onward to the future in this new era for the Black Dahlia Murder.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/theblackdahliamurderofficial

To buy the album, go here: https://metalblade.indiemerch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.metalblade.com/us/