Everblack

Personnel: David Mahler (hammer dulcimer); Jannina Norpoth (violin).
Audio Mixers: Jason Suecof; Ryan Williams .
Recording information: Audiohammer Studios; Regal Fecal, Warren, MI; Rustbelt Studios, Royal Oak, MI.
Though being an American death metal band that has entrenched itself on the Billboard charts is an impressive enough feat in and of itself, perhaps the most impressive trick the Black Dahlia Murder have pulled off is that they have accomplished this while actually getting better. On Everblack, their furious sixth album, they continue to refine their hybrid sound, combining the melody and technicality of melodic death metal with the savage brutality of their homeland's domestic death metal offerings. Add a touch of thrash's relentlessness and the listener is presented with a thrilling and visceral sound that's capable of being cathartic without sacrificing musicianship, avoiding cheap tricks like endless strings of breakdowns. Though metal has become an increasingly codified genre over the years, Everblack shows the heights a band can reach by simply having the confidence to forge its own path, following influences and inspirations wherever they may lead without worrying about whether or not death metal is being created "the right way." In a way, the Black Dahlia Murder have figured out how to create a new sound not by innovation, but invitation, welcoming bits and pieces from all over the metal world to make something exciting and exhilarating, which, aside from being a huge boon for metal fans, is the most hopeful thing to be said about an album containing a song titled "Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn." ~ Gregory Heaney