Review Summary: Melodic Death Metal giants return with a pulse-pounding gem of an album.
Long-story short...this album is epic. TBDM have continued the trend of releasing better and better albums with "Deflorate" the follow-up to 2007's "Nocturnal". This new album exceeds all accomplishments that their older material had set. On a whole...this is the best Black Dahlia album.
One thing I enjoyed was that the songs were alot more identifiable and the arrangements are as fresh as ever. This could be due to the addition of new guitarist Ryan Knight (ex-Arsis) who brings his own style of punishing melodic death metal guitar to the table. Drummer Shannon Lucas is at the top of his game on this album; with his machine gun blast beats and almost funk inspired fills. Vocalist Trevor Strnad also shines, using his low range growls more frequently than the high-pitched shrieks the band is known for. He also utilizes a selection of mid range screams to add variety and depth to the songs. I also enjoyed that bassist Ryan “Bart” Williams has a bit more time in the spotlight with some really great bass lines that shine through the guitar.
The songs on the album are the most ferocious and visceral yet. The album opener "Black Valor" has a classic death metal feel, while songs like "Necropolis" and "Christ Deformed" have some of the coolest and most original melodies I have heard in a while. Even B-side tracks like "Denounced, Deformed" and "Eyes of Thousand" are hard hitting, bone breaking songs. Clocking in at just under two minutes is "Death Panorama", a track that is Black Dahlia at there best, packing so much metal in so short a time. The album closer, the five and a half minute "I Will Return", has an almost black metal feel to it with its extended tremolo sections and screeching vocals.
The only complaint I have is the solos. While a breath of fresh air from other solos on Black Dahlia albums, some just don’t seem to fit in with the songs they are played on. It was like Ryan Knight was still in Arsis mode and wrote Arsis solos for Black Dahlia songs, it seems like he was trying to prove he was good enough and wrote solos that were, dare I say it, to technical. I don’t think, "Deflorate” will set any records but it does solidify The Black Dahlia murder as one of the best extreme metal bands out there. Hands-Down.
