The frontman for The Black Dahlia Murder explains how their 2020 LP ‘Verminous’ pushed the band to evolve as songwriters without compromising the extremity that has anchored their sound since the very beginning.
Closing out 2020 with a continued succession of artists with ‘Album of the Year’ quality releases in 2020, Mosh Talks welcomed a guest spot from Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder.
Gearing up for the band’s upcoming ‘Yule Em All’ holiday live streaming extravaganza, Strnad shared how the streaming event has been a work in progress but has afforded the band the ability to share their new album with the fans and given them the chance to let their inner weirdo hang out.
Of the new music, Strnad discussed the 2020 release of their commercially and critically lauded LP, Verminous. The vocalist shared how the presence of guitarist Brandon Ellis loomed large on the album, with Ellis being very hands-on throughout the process and overseeing the recording of all strings and vocals. Infusing elements of classic-era metal between big guitar solos and groove heavy hooks, Verminous underscored the band’s commitment to their craft.
Strnad also confided that after the universal success of the band’s eighth LP NIghtbringers, getting back to writing what would eventually become Verminous did come with some added pressure. The band had arguably made their finest work eight albums in and to top it, was certainly going to be a tall task.
What resulted was an album in Verminous that not only built upon the legacy cemented with Nightbringers, but continues to be included when detailing the best genre releases of 2020. What’s even better is the band didn’t need to repeat themselves to again find success.
What makes the album even more of a triumph is that after two decades as a band, The Black Dahlia Murder are still making a conscious effort to ensure they evolve. Explaining how this album explored their ability more as songwriters, there was a deliberate strategy to be more accessible in their sound. While extremity was still a prerequisite and has been since the band’s introduction in 2001, Strnad shared that Verminous was about finding a balance in making memorable songs without straying too far away from their identity.
Coupled with that commitment to consistently evolve their sound comes a pure passion for the genre. Championing emerging talent like Undeath and Necrot, Strnad spoke with real excitement about other artists that are working to push the boundaries and expectations of extreme music.
Citing his love for bands like Defeated Sanity and Gargoyl (featuring Dave Davidson of Revocation), Strnad values the bands that are thinking outside the box and approach extreme music with a sense of progression. That kind of criteria as a fan translates into being the kind of discerning practitioner capable of putting such a noteworthy record.
No wonder Verminous is among the best album of 2020.
Watch the complete interview with Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder on Mosh Talks.
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