I still remember the first time I heard The Black Dahlia Murder. It was a sunny day in New Farm Park, Brisbane, I was 16 years old, and I was with a bunch of newer, older mates who were definitely supplying kids with alcohol. “This band has two singers,” said one of them as he chucked on his totally sick car stereo and hit play on Unhallowed, the recently leaked (the mp3 scene was at its peak) debut record from the now-legendary melodic death-metal group. Turns out they didn’t have two singers, and that vocalist Trevor Strnad was just pioneering in his blatant and bold insistence on double tracking his frequently aped piercing highs and crushing lows – but safe to say my mind was pretty blown anyway.
Recognising that these were friends I’d met through a circle more focused on nu-metal and post-hardcore, the above seems like a poignant piece in time to summarise what The Black Dahlia Murder did for death metal – their swept fringes and scene kid clothing had brought it to a whole new audience, and made it cool again. I’d just begun my journey in music journalism with writing slobbering reviews for local webzines, and soon after got in contact with the band’s label – Metal Blade Records. They sent me stacks of promotional material, including a bunch of Black Dahlia Murder stickers that I’d hand out at local all ages shows, and CDs that opened the door to me for bands like The Red Chord, Amon Amarth, and As I Lay Dying.
I started my first band – it’s no coincidence that we played melodic death metal – and two years later we opened for The Black Dahlia Murder (on tour for their second album Miasma). It was my first big international support slot, and one of the first comfortable glimpses I had into the touring lifestyle. The band gradually morphed into proper death metal warriors, focused their sound without compromise, and to date have released eight pretty exceptionally received albums. Along the way they’ve been interview subjects of mine, guests on my radio show, backstage festival party buddies, full Australian tour partners, and now friends that I go and hang out with when they’re in town. When it comes to death metal and me, The Black Dahlia Murder have always been there. The influence that this band has had on music can’t be understated, and my life – not to mention the entire metal landscape – would look quite different without them.
On the Sunday evening just passed I witnessed the band effortlessly stir Max Watt’s into a frenzy. Nothing about it was a new sight, but the consistency of it was a reassuring and galvanizing one. It feels comforting to know that after all these years, they’re still giving their all to their craft, unswayed by whatever trends may be shifting around them. Three cheers to The Black Dahlia Murder – may you stand forever in powerful dorkiness, eternally alcoholic yet ravenously sharp.
