Album Reviews : Black Dahlia Murder – Deflorate

As the fourth full length offering from Michigan based deathcore fanatics The Black Dahlia Murder, Deflorate does not disappoint. Arguably their best produced studio album to date, it features the guitar prowess of newly added axeman Ryan Knightand a sound that will indeed deflower your eardrums. Often (rightly or wrongly) touted as the poster boys of the deathcore movement yet clearly influenced by trailblazing Grindcore and Gothenburg type sounds, The Black Dahlia Murder transcend pigeon holing and let their music speak for itself. While their look may be easily confused with hardcore sensibilities, their sound on this album (and previous albums) effectively ends any further comparisons in it’s tracks. This album is metal to its core – no pun intended.

With Deflorate they have continued to take multiple influences and moulded a sound that is a 10- track exercise in brutality. Their impeccable musicianship and impressive range of vocalist Trevor Strnad has set them apart from the “pack” of their contemporaries. This album also has some great examples of well constructed melodic touches within (the middle solo of Throne of Lunacy comes to mind).

Deflorate is characteristically littered with ferocious guitar playing, amazingly proficient speed picking, sweeps and blasting. From the opening track Black Valour (with a main riff that could feel at home in any thrash album) to the deceptively slow start of the pseudo black metal esque final track I Will Return, this is an album that is a pleasure to listen to. Good things come in small,or on this case short, packages (total running time of ~33 minutes) and the relatively short length of the album doesn’t diminish its impact or quality. The drumming is relentless – every track a killer in terms of “live” drumming sound they have been able to achieve with this recording. This is not to discount the guitar sound on this album which is slightly more refined than previous releases and lends itself to a more melodic feel while still maintaining a brutal edge to their music.

The killer tracks on this album are Black Valour, A Selection Unnatural, Throne of Lunacy and I Will Return although all tracks are definitely worthy of a listen for any self respecting metal head! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to this ear splitting beast of an album, give it a spin and you wont be disappointed. The Black Dahlia Murder are touring Oz in early June 2010. See ya there!

Band: Black Dahlia Murder
Album: Deflorate
Year: 2009
Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore
Origin: USA
Label: Metal Blade/Riot! Entertainment
http://www.myspace.com/blackdahliamurder

Track listing:
1. Black Valor
2. Necropolis
3.  A Selection Unnatural
4. Denounced, Disgraced
5. Christ Deformed
6. Death Panorama
7. Throne of Lunacy
8. Eyes of Thousand
9. That Which Erodes the Most Tender
10. I Will Return

Reviewed by Gobz