On April 17th, The Black Dahlia Murder will release their new album, Verminous, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of Verminous, a lyric video for the title track can be seen here:
Verminous is The Black Dahlia Murder’s most dynamic, rousing and emotional release to date, and it achieves this without compromising one iota of heaviness. “I think this is the biggest evolutionary leap we’ve ever taken from one album to the next. We stoked the creative fires with 2017’s Nightbringers and it’s gone much further now in Verminous,” states vocalist Trevor Strnad. “It’s a very colorful, moody, and charismatic album that experiments with new sounds and ideas without losing the cutthroat Black Dahlia edge. There is a lot of minutiae to digest. Plenty of delicious little Easter eggs woven into the fabric of each song. Each one is a living, breathing entity that will stand on its own as some of the best music this band has ever created.”
While the drums were recorded at The Pipeyard in Plymouth, Michigan by ex-bassist and longtime studio guru Ryan “Bart” Williams, the bulk of the album was recorded in New Jersey at guitarist Brandon Ellis’ home studio, the Shred Light District, then mixed by Tue Madsen and mastered by Alan Douches. Produced by Ellis and the band, Verminous sees Black Dahlia having a greater level of control over every facet of recording than on any previous release, enabling them to tweak and fine-tune all the small details right up until the point they sent it to Madsen in Denmark.
“To say we were anal-retentive would be an understatement. Tue did an outstanding job. His mix is organic. Classic sounding. Not too slick. It’s got an old school ‘real life’ feel to it rather than being the overly polished quantized-to-hell drek that is coming out these days. We wanted the album’s sound to have its own personality, and he helped us achieve just that. Finally, Alan did a great job of smoothing out the final details with his mastering. He beefed it up into what you hear now.”
The only other outside collaborators with which the band worked were soundscape artist Michael Ghelfi, who provided the sample that opens the record and “sets the pest-ridden vibe”, and Juanjo Castellano, who painted the cover. “It’s amazing and classically death metal cover artwork. I call it an evil underground sewer world, home to the verminous ones. If you look closely you can find all kinds of rats and bugs and critters scattered throughout. The amount of detail Juanjo put in there is second to none.”
In support of Verminous, The Black Dahlia Murder will first head out to South Africa in March, before hitting the road with Testament for a North American tour, featuring Municipal Waste and Meshiaak as openers. The band will also return to Europe this summer for the festival season, appearing at Hellfest, Bloodstock Open Air, and more.
In regards to the upcoming USA trek, The Black Dahlia Murder’s vocalist Trevor Strnad comments: “It is a massive honor and pleasure to be considered a worthy peer to the mighty Testament. Being a fan of theirs since childhood, I have to stop and pinch myself to see if it’s a dream or not. Luckily, I’m still awake! To say that we in The Black Dahlia Murder are excited for this undertaking would be a massive understatement. Not to mention the added pleasure of combining forces with the non-stop energy of Municipal Waste. Too fucking sick! These three entities together will be levelling venues across North America and leaving no head un-banged! This is it! The stars have aligned! Prepare to fucking thrash!”
Tickets for the North American tour go on sale Friday, February 7th at 10:00am local time. See all confirmed dates below.
The Black Dahlia Murder tour dates
w/ Testament, Municipal Waste, Meshiaak
Apr. 20 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ
Apr. 21 – El Rey – Albuquerque, NM
Apr. 23 – House Of Blues – Houston, TX
Apr. 24 – House Of Blues – Dallas, TX
Apr. 25 – Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK
Apr. 26 – Emo’s East – Austin, TX
Apr. 28 – Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL
Apr. 29 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Apr. 30 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC
May 5 – The Fillmore – Silver Springs, MD
May 6 – Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
May 7 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
May 8 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
May 9 – House Of Blues – Boston, MA
May 10 – M’Telus – Montreal, QC
May 11 – Phoenix Concert Hall – Toronto, ON
May 13 – Roxian Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
May 14 – Saint Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI
May 16 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
May 17 – The Fillmore – Minneapolis, MN
May 19 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
May 20 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
May 22 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
May 23 – Vogue Theater – Vancouver, BC * no Municipal Waste
May 24 – Showbox Sodo – Seattle, WA * no Municipal Waste
May 26 – Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
May 27 – House Of Blues – San Diego, CA
May 28 – House Of Blues – Anaheim, CA
