The Black Dahlia Murder
Unhallowed
Metal Blade Records
I saw this band on Headbangers Ball a few months ago, and the first thing going through my metal mind is, "Oh yip yip yip yahoo. Another band of emo kids with mop-hair, who play 3 heavy riffs and scream a lot". Then they played the video for "Contagion" and I was promptly put in my place. Then a couple weeks ago, I saw the video for "Funeral Thirst" and I felt obligated to put a little Tabasco sauce on that plate of crow I was about to eat.
This five-piece metal outfit from the Motor City (that would be Detroit for those of you in Rio Linda) plays some brilliantly crafted metal. With a lethal combination of Swedish metal ala
Dissection or Dark Tranquillity, and blasting grindage of death metal,
The Black Dahlia Murder are poised to kill everything in their path...musically speaking of course, because otherwise that would be wrong. It's like a trip back in time to the mid-90's when this style was uncompromising in its ferocity as well as its melody.
Opening this disc is the two minute intro "Unhallowed", which is the proverbial foreplay that builds up to a crescendo just before you get your ears assaulted with "Funeral Thirst". And that's just the par for the course. Every song on this disc shreds. The vocals stay mainly in screechy black metal mode, but there are some decent growls interlaced for good measure. There is some great dual guitar riffing/soloing, and the drumming is insane.
This goes to prove that looks can be deceiving in metal. I did NOT expect this top notch material from this slacker looking bunch. Now you'll have to pardon me, I have to get back to that crow.
