Tag: Brandon Ellis

The Black Dahlia Murder – Mammoth’s Hand

Posted on by Mike

I didn’t even have to look for this new track from The Black Dahlia Murder, since one of my Instagram followers chose to send it to me early Tuesday morning. “Mammoth’s Hand” is the second single off of Servitude, the group’s first album in over four years and their first without the late Trevor Strnad. And as you can see above, it even has a fucking sick animated video to accompany it. So, let’s get right to it!

“Mammoth’s Hand” is a slower paced track, unlike “Aftermath”, the first single from the upcoming album…or 99.8% of the band’s entire two decades-long catalogue. The song sounds so much like something from Nightbringers that I was immediately under the impression the Brandon Ellis wrote the music, especially with his short intro solo before Brain Eschbach begins singing. Turns out I was wrong, and Ryan actually wrote this one. And that very much excites me because it’s partially what I’ve been waiting for.

The song’s slower tempo allows the guitars to breathe, allowing you to hear every note being played. The arrangement is perfection. There’s a short section where the tempo is double timed (that means the tempo is faster for you non-musos). The syncopated break in the middle makes it so much more badass. The solo kicks in at the 2:22 mark and it’s played by non-other than Ryan Motherfucking Knight! It’s dripping with emotion, aggression, feel, harmonies, everything I loved about his solos during his initial run with the band. His and Brandon’s styles are very similar. Think the primary difference is Brandon’s sound is a little more razor sharp than Ryan’s, and his bends are just a tad more extreme than even Ryan’s. I did recently compare Ryan to a modern-day Andy LaRoque after all!

Ok, now for the lyrics. I need to start this off by admitting that I apparently dug way too deep for my own good when dissecting the lyrics to “Aftermath”. I took it as a statement on crawling back after tragedy. Nope. It really was just about Zombies and the end of the Earth after it was hit by a meteor. Turns out that as a lyricist, Brian is nowhere near as dark as Trevor was. Either that or since this was his first go around as the primary lyricist, he decided to just have fun with it. I can’t say I blame Brian at all. So, where in the past the lyrics were as dark and deranged as you’d expect from any Death Metal band, yet the videos were fun, the lyrics won’t be serious at all in this new era of The Black Dahlia Murder.

Take the lyrics to “Mammoth’s Hand”. Brian revealed that they were literally inspired by the early 1980’s cult flick, The Beastmaster. Did you click on the link to see the trailer for that? Is it not gloriously schlocky? Although like many schlocky movies, this one had one hot ass chick. RIP Tanya Roberts.

Yeah, she was hot. The titties are smaller than what I’d usually prefer, but she sure was easy on the eyes. I’d fuck her.

Anyway, the lyrics to “Mammoth’s Hand’s”, according to Brian, were inspired by one particular scene in the movie. As for Brian own performance, I actually liked it better than even his performance on “Aftermath”. The slower tempo allows him to play around with nuances and explore more of his own dynamics. He actually sounded more like a Black Metal vocalist here, as far as I can tell.

Again, this isn’t the first time we’ve ever heard the Black Dahlia Murder slow it down, and I really like this one. I’m leaving here the link to pre-order Servitude, which comes out next month. I already pre-ordered it, and you should too. If there was ever a time to support The Black Dahlia Murder, THIS is that time. BUY THE FUCKING RECORD!

I absolutely give “Mammoth’s Hand” 5 out of 5 middle fingers.

The Black Dahlia Murder – Aftermath

Posted on by Mike
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/angrymetalhead/episodes/The-Black-Dahlia-Murder—Aftermath-e2krsnc

The wait is over. I don’t have much else to say expect it was one agonizing wait. It’s not the first time a band chose to continue with a different singer, but there were clearly going to be implications here. The Black Dahlia Murder, the single most important Death Metal band in the last twenty years were about to release their first new song since the death of Trevor Strnad devastated the entire underground community, leaving many of us – myself included! – feeling that this was the end, and that with just one original member remaining, The Black Dahlia Murder’s days were fucking numbered. They were cooked as far as I was concerned.

That’s why, after several months of the surviving members keeping their cards close to their chest – and who could blame them? – they shocked us all again by using Decibel Magazine to announce the return of ex-guitarist Ryan Knight alongside current guitarist Brandon Ellis, and the even bigger surprise in which founding guitarist Brian Eschbach would leave his position to become the new lead singer. For context, no shit he did many of the backing vocals over the decades. But this was different. In a sense, it was probably wise to keep shit like this in-house. But regardless of how much Brian has written over time, and with the possible knowledge that one cannot simply emulate another person’s vocal style, filling his own departed singer’s shoes would not be easy.

And that’s putting it lightly.

That’d be comparable to expecting William DuVall to sound just like Layne Staley. It would never be possible and even if he somehow pulled it off, it’d be considered phony, and Alice in Chains would’ve folded yet again, this time for good.

So here we are. The Black Dahlia Murder has released their new song, “Aftermath”, off their upcoming album, Servitude, to be released on September 27th, and I intentionally waited until I was finished with my morning Leg Day in the gym before I listened to this. I needed to be able to just sit, listen, and take notes without any distractions. Thanks to everyone who read and heeded my Instagram story request and didn’t tell me a damn thing. I needed to be able to hear “Aftermath” with an open mind, no preconceived notions. It was the only way I could give such an anticipated song a fair review.

Aftermath

The opening few seconds bring the sounds of an incoming storm. Before the 7 second mark even hits the new lineup kicks into full gear like there is no tomorrow, and it sounds like classic Black Dahlia, but with the awareness that this time they all have far too much to prove. It’s only eight seconds later the Brian begins to sing. Upon listening to him you can already hear that this is the same man that’s performed backing vocals for years both on record and live. It’s here that you can tell that he’s not out to emulate someone as emotional and dynamic as Trevor. Yeah, I said emotional, because that’s partially what made his performances stand out as they did. Anyone can growl. Anyone can scream. Anyone can combine the two. But few can give it the character Trevor Strnad did for nine albums. Ironically, while Brian Eschbach thankfully isn’t trying to be Trevor, he does sound a lot like him.

As mentioned earlier, the opening riff sounded like classic Black Dahlia, chock full of Carcass-inspired melodies, albeit with far more urgency. Since every musician in the world has their own way of writing, I’m wondering if Brian had a major say in the songwriting for “Aftermath” and perhaps the bulk of the upcoming new album. This would not be to take anything away from the returning Ryan Knight or Brandon Ellis, who quickly became a powerhouse in The Black Dahlia Murder, but I suspect Brian knew there needed to be some sort of familiarity to the music. To circle back to my earlier Alice in Chains comparison, upon writing their 2009 comeback masterpiece, Black Gives Way to Blue, Jerry Cantrell NEEDED to write nearly everything. That familiarity in the music was the only way anyone would accept any new music from the band, and he knew it.

The lyrics are pretty powerful, sending a message without actually discussing the events of the last two years:

So here we are
You thought you’d seen it all
Still amongst the living after the fall
The burning rock fell from the sky
Laid waste to old world most did die
Roaming the fire
Adapting to ash
Scavenging to survive
Time and pressure
Make us clash
Feeding off each other when we can
The decisions that we make
Beg the question “Are we still human?”

If I were to put myself in the shoes of Brian Eschbach alone, I can imagine feeling every negative emotion I felt listening to Unhallowed for the first time, only multiplied by infinity. I can imagine that as he’s making decisions he never thought he’d have to make, he had to wonder many days and subsequent months, if this was real or if this was all a fucking nightmare? Again, I alone thought the band were fucked.

A decent slowdown arrives at the 1:35 mark. But even with the main, neck-breaking tempo being given a short rest, even the slowdown has urgency, as led by Alan Cassidy’s marching drum pattern. The band kicked back into full gear with the main guitar solo by the returning Ryan Knight. I really missed hearing this man play. It was on his initial 2009 debut with the band, Deflorate, where I declared that The Black Dahlia Murder had become a full-fledged Death Metal band. That’s not to say I didn’t like the preceding three albums from them, but Ryan’s lead playing compared to his predecessor, A decent slowdown arrives at the 1:35 mark. But even with the main, neck-breaking tempo being given a short rest, even the slowdown has urgency, as led by Alan Cassidy’s marching drum pattern. During this slowdown period, we hear the main guitar solo played by the returning Ryan Knight. I really missed hearing this man play. With his wide vibrato and his harmonies, he always reminded me of what King Diamond’s Andy LaRoque would sound like in a true Death Metal setting outside of his solos of Death ‘s Individual Thought Patterns. It was on his initial 2009 debut with the band, Deflorate, where I declared that The Black Dahlia Murder had become a full-fledged Death Metal band. That’s not to say I didn’t like the preceding three albums from them, but Ryan’s lead playing compared to his predecessor, John Kempainen was truly night and day. I initially thought that Brandon was not to be heard on this track at all. But I now know that he actually plays the bulk of the solo. Strange how that works. It’s a remind that the two actually have VERY similar styles. Whoops! After that amazing solo, the speed picks up again, blast beats abound. With one minute to go in the song, the band, Brian especially, are going to make sure they make their message loud and clear. Brian is beginning to sound even more slobbish here, harsher, angrier, more distraught as if he knows he’s almost finished, but he has more to say and he NEEDS us all to hear him.

The song ends abruptly.

My Thoughts

After a distressing, two-year wait there are many things I can say about “Aftermath”. One of my Instagram followers told me he found his listening experience to be overwhelming. I couldn’t agree more. There was too much on the line here for The Black Dahlia Murder to fuck this up. With a run time of three minutes and one second, the band did exactly what they needed to do. They wasted zero time with the introduction, they reintroduced themselves in a timely fashion, dynamics being used to perfection, and they ended it on a literal high note, making me at least wish there was a tad more. “Aftermath” isn’t just a song, this was statement. It NEEDED to be a statement. It NEEDED to send a clear message, and it did.

I give “Aftermath” five out of five middle fingers.

Album Of The Year 2017

Posted on by Mike

There were lot of brutal albums that came out this year, from just about all forms of Extreme Metal.  I knew by June that it’d be difficult to chose just one.  It was so bad that I even put out an Instagram poll – in which just one person voted…which is why this year’s Album Of The Year…is actually a tie.  One of these two is a record I had already reviewed over the summer, and the other one is a record that took me by surprise, not because I didn’t expect this one in particular to be any good – oh I did! – but the increase in songwriting quality and atmosphere absolutely blew me the fuck away.  So let’s get started:

Municipal Waste – Slime And Punishment

I reviewed this record back in August, by which point it had been out for a few months.  Here’s the link:

https://metalheadconfessions.com/2017/08/03/municipal-waste-slime-and-punishment/

But in short, Municipal Waste are BACK.  Five years away plus the addition of additional guitarist Nick Poulos to beef up their sound, did the band way more good that I ever expected.  The album sounds fresh compared their previous albums, 2009’s Massive Aggressive and especially 2012’s The Fatal Feast, a seeming desperate attempt by the band to be more of a Crossover act.

The songs are all perfectly quick and to the point, with the longest one clocking in at just over three minutes.  The guitars are way beefier, and singer Tony Foresta found the perfect vocal approach, using the same high pitched scream he’s used for the last few Iron Reagan albums.  Bottom like:  With Slime And Punishment, Municipal Waste found a formula that absolutely works for them, one that’s focused yet reckless at the same time.  Let’s just hope they keep this for a bit, eh?

Key Tracks: Breathe Grease, Enjoy The Night, Shrednecks, Parole Violators, Poison The Preacher, Under The Waste Command, Think Fast

The Black Dahlia Murder – Nightbringers

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The other album that blew me away.  I was dead set on making the Municipal Waste record my album of the year until this past October.  The Black Dahlia Murder went through a possibly band shattering change two years ago when lead guitar Ryan Knight left the band just a month after the release of Abysmal and after four albums with the band.  As far as I’m concerned, Ryan’s playing is what turned The Black Dahlia Murder into a full fledged Death Metal band.  In his place they hired Brandon Ellis of Arsis, marking the second time the band has poached anyone from Arsis – which is fine because Arsis are absolutely fucking BORING.  I never thought technical guitars with a black metal vocal could get so stale so fucking fast!

When I heard the band were releasing a new album I expected it to be good, until I heard this:

Oh fuck!  I knew the band were Carcass disciples but I’ve never heard Trevor Strnad sound so much like Jeff Walker until this moment.  Same with the music, it honestly sounds like the band’s best interpretation of Carcass during their early 90’s peak.  A lot of the credit here goes to guitarist Brian Esbach, the only other remaining original member of the band, for seemingly NEVER forgetting where he came from and NEVER straying away from what has essentially become his signature songwriting style.  You can hear any song from the band and know instantly who you’re listening too.

As mentioned earlier, BDM are essentially disciples of the old school and Nightbringers, at times, is without question equal parts Carcass and even Domination-era Morbid Angel – and if you’ve read this blog in the past you know I love that album!  Tracks such as “Matriarch”, “Widowmaker”, “Of God And Serpent, Of Spectre And Snake”, “Catacomb Hecatomb”, “As Good As Dead”, are absolute balls to the wall musical masterpieces that, while calling on the band’s obvious musical influences, enhance the band’s own signature style, one that seems to easily convey every single negative emotion I could think of.  I own every single BDM album going back to Unhallowed and that album was THE last time the band made me feel every negative emotion I knew of.  That was fourteen years ago, by the way.

I love reading the lyrics sheets to these albums.  Trevor Strnad’s lyrics at times are either straight out sadistic and very Poe-ish.  Take for example these lines from “Kings Of The Nightworld”: Enshrouded in ebony mystery/Blacker than the darkest pitch/A bond of blood to death an drek/Seeking to defile everything which bears his name we will/Destroy you all the same sucking each vein we shall corrupt and dismantle/waging a war without end until/The head of the one fettered Christ doth sate/Our lust for revenge…”.  Trevor never seems to run out of inspiration from the dark side.

So why was this a tie along with ‘Waste for Album Of The Year?  Consistency.  They never strayed to far from what works; they also have a unique signature sound that can reach out to more people than most modern Death Metal bands today.  It’s the reason why Nightbringers was the biggest pre-ordered album in the history of Metal Blade Records.  It’s the reason it’s a tie for my Album Of The Year.

Key Tracks: Of God And Serpant, Of Spectre And Snake; Matriarch; Jars; Kings Of The Nightworld; As Good As Dead; The Lonely Deceased

Honorable Mention

Morbid Angel – Kingdoms Disdained

See the source image

Speaking of Morbid Angel!  I want to make it clear right now – if this came out earlier than it did it would’ve easily knocked off both ‘Waste and Black Dahlia for Album Of The Year without me hesitating.  But I couldn’t write this post without mentioning Kingdoms Disdained.  This is literally THE record no one saw coming regardless of how excited people were to hear Steve Tucker rejoined the band nearly three years ago.

I actually wrote an article on the situation at the time, debating whether David Vincent or Trey Azagthoth himself were to blame for that last pile of shit Morbid Angel released an it could’ve gone either way.  Yeah, David is now a completely different person, but apparently Try is actually into techno.  But with David’s departure, as well as the release of this track, it’s easy to see who wasn’t to blame after all:

Oh yeah.  This right out the gate reminded me of something off Covenant…but with Steve on vocals instead of David.  It’s absolutely brutal from beginning to end, chock full of polyrhythms, time signature changes, and the single most angry performance I’ve ever heard from Steve Tucker as a vocalist.  Sounds to me like he felt the need to make a statement after being gone for twelve years!

Another great addition to the band is new drummer Scott Fuller.  On tracks such as “For No Master”, “Paradigms Warped”, and “Architect And Iconoclast”, Scott shows that not only can he channel the legendary Pete Sandoval’s double bass expertise, but he also has his own feel and style.  That’s important because…there’s only ONE Pete Sandoval.  Back behind the controls for this one as former Morbid Angel and current Hate Eternal guitarist Erik Rutan.  I wonder if he was intentionally trying to give Morbid as much of a bare bones sound as possible because this doesn’t sound like any of the other bands he’s produced over the years.

What I’m thrilled about most, as I’m sure most fans are, is hearing Trey rip it up in a way we haven’t heard in a long ass time.  His solos remind me of the late Jeff Hanneman’s at times, always have.  Oh yeah, there’s structure.  But in that structure is so much dissonance and chaos, yet it all fits perfectly every single time.  Not many guitarists can pull that one off.  As one of my Instagram followers put it recently “thank fuck they are back!”.  And more so than even ‘Waste, lets hope they keep this up!

Key tracks: Piles Of Little Arms, For No Master, Architect And Iconoclast, From The Hand Of Kings

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