Out of the nine studio albums they have released to date, the last eight have charted on the U.S. Billboard 200, with their fifth album Ritual peaking at No. 31 in 2011, marking them as one of the most popular contemporary American extreme metal bands. Their ninth and latest album Verminous was released on April 17, 2020.
Current Line-Up:
Brian Eschbach – lead vocals (2022–present), rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2001–2022)
Ryan Knight – rhythm guitar (2022–present), lead guitar (2009–2016)
Max Lavelle – bass (2012–present)
Alan Cassidy – drums (2012–present)
Brandon Ellis – lead guitar, backing vocals (2016–present)
The Black Dahlia Murder began its inception during late 2000 and gained the final band lineup in January 2001. The group released their demo entitled "What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse", and a four-track EP, "A Cold-Blooded Epitaph", the latter of which the group released on Lovelost Records. After appearing in concerts such as the Milwaukee Metal Fest, The Black Dahlia Murder signed to Metal Blade Records in 2003.
Bassist Ryan "Bart" Williams left his former band, Detroit's Today I Wait, to tour with the Black Dahlia Murder. After touring with the band on their co-headlining gig with Throwdown and their European dates with Liar, he joined the group full-time, replacing former bassist David Lock. Frontman Trevor Strnad said that Lock was fired for incompetency. Williams was one of two engineers (the other being Walls of Jericho's Mike Hasty) on the band's first full-length album, "Unhallowed". The band then went on a tour in late 2004 supporting Unearth alongside with Terror and Remembering Never throughout the United States.
The band's second album "Miasma" was released on July 12, 2005, and peaked at No. 118 on the Billboard 200. After touring for "Miasma", drummer Zach Gibson left the band along with Pierre Langlois. While Gibson went on to join Abigail Williams, Langlois left the band for a more secure lifestyle, and the band finished their search for a replacement drummer when they found former All That Remains drummer, Shannon Lucas.
Their third album, entitled "Nocturnal", was released on September 18, 2007. The album debuted at No. 72 on the Billboard 200. Their longtime lead guitarist, John Kempainen left the band and was replaced by Ryan Knight during the beginning of 2009. In May 2009, The Black Dahlia Murder released their first DVD, "Majesty". The DVD contains a documentary and live footage from the Summer Slaughter tour and their tour supporting Children of Bodom in late 2008. The DVD also contains all of their music videos and behind the scenes footage.
The Black Dahlia Murder released Deflorate on September 15, 2009, via Metal Blade Records. The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States in the first week of the release, debuted at position No. 43 Billboard's Top 200 charts, No. 5 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart, No. 4 on Billboard's Top Hard Music Albums chart, and No. 50 on HITS Top 50 Albums chart. They toured with Children of Bodom and Skeletonwitch in support of the album. After their 2010 headlining tour with Goatwhore and Arkaik, the band began writing and recording their next full-length album.
In February 2011, The Black Dahlia Murder completed the songwriting process for their fifth studio album, entitled "Ritual". It was released on June 21, 2011, in North America.
In April 2012 during the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on the first night performance, Trevor Strnad officially welcomed new bassist Max Lavelle into the band after former bassist Ryan Williams parted ways. On November 7, Shannon Lucas announced via a YouTube video that he would be stepping down as drummer of The Black Dahlia Murder to pursue other aspirations. Alan Cassidy of Abigail Williams filled in for Shannon's touring duties.
In early 2013, despite the news of the departure of two band members (drummer Shannon Lucas and bassist Bart Williams), plans were announced for an upcoming album release, to be entitled "Everblack". Tentative plans estimated its release to be early summer 2013; likely June. On April 10, 2013, the iTunes Store was updated with official release and availability information, including cover art, a full track listing, and an official U.S. release date of June 11, 2013. The album has 10 tracks in total. On the same day, the band's first single from "Everblack" was made available for purchase and download, titled "Into The Everblack". The album itself was then released on June 11 and peaked at No. 32 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
On November 28, 2014, The Black Dahlia Murder released a 7" EP titled Grind 'Em All featuring 3 short grindcore covers of punk rock songs: a cover of "Ripped Up" by Left for Dead, of "Rebel Without a Car" by Sedition and of "Populous" by Gyga. The covers were originally recorded almost 10 years earlier during the era of "Miasma". The EP was released as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday event via A389 Recordings (rather than the band's label, Metal Blade Records), made available for purchase on the band's online merchandise store and also streamed in its entirety via Exclaim!. The album art for Grind 'Em All was designed by Szymon Siech.
Lead guitarist Ryan Knight confirmed in early 2015 that the band will deliver a seventh studio release that year, followed by extensive touring, and that he is planning to start working on a solo album afterwards. Vocalist Trevor Strnad stated that the band's new album, titled "Abysmal", will be "more raw and natural sounding" and feature "more dynamic and developed songs" than their previous work. "Vlad, Son of the Dragon", the first song from the album, was released online on June 24, followed by "Receipt" on July 22 and "Threat Level No. 3" on August 19. "Abysmal" was produced by Mark Lewis and Ryan Williams and released worldwide through Metal Blade on September 18.In early February 2016, it was announced that Knight had left the band. He was replaced on lead guitar by Brandon Ellis of Arsis.
The band's 8th album "Nightbringers" was released on October 6, 2017, to critical and commercial acclaim, charting at 35 on the Billboard 200.
The Black Dahlia Murder released their ninth studio album, "Verminous", on April 17, 2020.
On May 11, 2022, it was announced that the band's frontman Trevor Strnad had died. While no official cause of death has been given, the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was provided at the end of the statement.
On September 14, 2022, The Black Dahlia Murder announced a tribute concert taking place for Trevor Strnad on October 28 at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit, Michigan, supported by Darkest Hour and Plague Years. It was also announced that Brian Eschbach will be stepping down from guitar and taking over as lead vocalist as he states in an interview with Decibel Magazine; "I know Trevor would keep this band going if I went down a deep, dark path and weren’t here.". In Brian's place, Ryan Knight will be returning to the band as the rhythm guitarist.
Their Beloved Absentee
The Black Dahlia Murder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hypothesis human destruction imminent, transpiring accordingly
Alpha omega the giver and taker, the paradox of life and death
The world is my oyster, my powers I bolster, I’ll gamble ‘til nothing is left
The human invention created dissention, disrupter of poor mother earth
For my sick entertainment, I’ll ring that ole’ rag squeezing her for what she’s worth
Lo and why they worship me their beloved absentee
Not just hands but a will
Not just hearts but could feel
With such weight it’s no wonder they’ve killed
Driven mad by the power I’ve instilled
With the hands to create
They could only unmake
With the potential to love
Man’s emotion soured by hate
Alpha omega, the broken and breaker, I am the one of law bereft
How petty their prayer, an annoyance their voices, my goblet spills forth as I laugh
The human invention evaded abortion, but’s damned himself before his birth
For my sick entertainment I’ll lend not a nod, gawking from safety in jovial mirth
Lo and why they worship me, their corrupted absentee
Though they’ve called me their god, there’s no truth I can find
More than instinct a fire
More than guts a desire
With such a burden it’s a shame they can’t deal
Gone insane from insatiable will
With the eyes to behold
They only wanted a lie
With the potential to grow unrestrained
They cast a bullet to promptly put straight through their brains
Humanity
A notion poisoned, gone astray
Creatively paved
Their ashen ways to early graves
Like the rats they have raced
In an endless gluttony for pain
Oh I know that it hurts
But your sadistic voyeur of a god is entertained
Like a high heeled shoe, crushing the praying mantis form
To the taking of life I’ve been desensitized, by unending waves of unfathomable automated porn
Their life is a disease, I’ve created the damnedest of plagues
I await now their end with a most bated breath, remorseless I am for the monster I have made
Humanity
A notion poisoned, gone astray
Creatively paved
Their ashen ways to early graves
Like the rats they have raced
In an endless gluttony for pain
Oh I know that it hurts
But your sadistic voyeur of a god is entertained
The lyrics to The Black Dahlia Murder's song Their Beloved Absentee are a commentary on the destructive tendencies of humanity and the paradoxical nature of a god who is both a creator and a destroyer. The song begins with the line "Alpha omega I am the creator, deemer of all that shall be," which is a reference to the biblical Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all things. From there, the singer describes themselves as a god-like figure with the power to both give and take life. They are aware of the impending destruction of humanity and see it as a natural conclusion to their own creation.
The chorus of the song refers to the worship of the singer, who is called a "beloved absentee." This title reflects the paradoxical nature of their role as a creator who has abandoned their creation. As the singer says, "Not even as their god can the answer I find." This line suggests that even a god cannot fully understand the creations they have unleashed upon the world.
The lyrics also explore the ways in which humanity has created their own destruction through their invention and the disruption of the natural world. The singer takes pleasure in watching humanity suffer and calls them a "notion poisoned, gone astray" and "rats... in an endless gluttony for pain." The song ultimately presents a bleak view of human nature, where even the highest creations can turn to destruction and self-destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Alpha omega I am the creator, deemer of all that shall be
I am the ultimate being responsible for the creation and fate of all things
Hypothesis human destruction imminent, transpiring accordingly
I predict and watch as humans destroy themselves as I suspected they would
Alpha omega the giver and taker, the paradox of life and death
I both give and take life, embodying the contradiction and complexity of existence
The world is my oyster, my powers I bolster, I’ll gamble ‘til nothing is left
I view the world as a resource to be exploited for my own entertainment, using my immense powers to control it without restraint
The human invention created dissention, disrupter of poor mother earth
Human technology has caused division and harm to the planet we all share
For my sick entertainment, I’ll ring that ole’ rag squeezing her for what she’s worth
I take pleasure in watching the destruction of the earth, using it as a toy for my amusement
Lo and why they worship me their beloved absentee
Despite my absence and lack of concern for their well-being, humans still worship me as a god
Not even as their god can the answer I find
Even as their god, I cannot provide them with answers or guidance
Not just hands but a will
Humans possess not only the physical ability to act, but also a powerful drive towards their desires
Not just hearts but could feel
Humans are capable of a wide spectrum of emotions, good and bad
With such weight it’s no wonder they’ve killed
The heavy burden of human emotion and desire can lead to acts of violence and destruction
Driven mad by the power I’ve instilled
My influence and control over their lives has driven some humans to madness
With the hands to create
Humans have the power to build and make things
They could only unmake
Despite their ability to create, humans often destroy and tear down
With the potential to love
Humans have the capacity for great love and compassion
Man’s emotion soured by hate
Unfortunately, human love and compassion can be corrupted by hatred and malice
Alpha omega, the broken and breaker, I am the one of law bereft
I am both the one who destroys and the one who is destroyed, lacking any moral or ethical guidance
How petty their prayer, an annoyance their voices, my goblet spills forth as I laugh
I find the supplications and requests of humans to be irritating and insignificant, and derive amusement from their helplessness
The human invention evaded abortion, but’s damned himself before his birth
Humanity has overcome many obstacles, but in the end has created its own downfall
For my sick entertainment I’ll lend not a nod, gawking from safety in jovial mirth
I take delight in their suffering, but never interfere or show any mercy
Lo and why they worship me, their corrupted absentee
Despite my malevolent influence, humans continue to worship me as their god
Though they’ve called me their god, there’s no truth I can find
Despite their devotion to me, I cannot discern any inherent good or truthfulness in my actions or intentions
More than instinct a fire
Humans have a strong, insatiable drive beyond mere instinct
More than guts a desire
Their motivation goes beyond mere courage, and is driven by a deep, relentless desire
With such a burden it’s a shame they can’t deal
The weight of their ambitions can sometimes be too much to bear, leading to failure and disappointment
Gone insane from insatiable will
Their unquenchable desire has driven some humans to madness
With the eyes to behold
Humans have the power of observation and analysis
They only wanted a lie
Unfortunately, some humans are more interested in comforting falsehoods than harsh truths
With the potential to grow unrestrained
Humans have great potential for growth and development
They cast a bullet to promptly put straight through their brains
Regrettably, their unbridled ambition and self-destructive impulses can lead to tragic ends
Humanity
A notion poisoned, gone astray
Creatively paved
Their ashen ways to early graves
Like the rats they have raced
In an endless gluttony for pain
Oh I know that it hurts
Humanity has lost its way, poisoning itself and hastening its own destruction through creativity and ambition, like rats chasing after pain, and I watch without remorse
But your sadistic voyeur of a god is entertained
Despite the tragedy and suffering of humans, I am entertained by their destruction and pain, behaving like a perverse voyeur
Like a high heeled shoe, crushing the praying mantis form
To the taking of life I’ve been desensitized, by unending waves of unfathomable automated porn
Their life is a disease, I’ve created the damnedest of plagues
I await now their end with a most bated breath, remorseless I am for the monster I have made
I am like a high-heeled shoe crushing a helpless insect, completely desensitized to the taking of lives through my endless consumption of violent media, and I view humanity as a disease I created that must now face its inevitable end, without any hint of remorse for my actions
Lyrics © BUG MUSIC
Written by: Brian Eschbach, John Kempainen, Ryan Williams, Shannon Lucas, Trevor Strnad
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind