Review Summary: The Black Dahlia Murder adds another gem to their already consistent discography.
Ever since the year 2003, The Black Dahlia Murder has been showing how modern melodic death metal is supposed to sound. Bringing influences from bands such as At the Gates and Carcass while also adding their own "American" sound to the scene. Let's be honest, melodic death metal isn't a genre that's actually thriving as a whole nowadays, but these guys have been a constant staple and one of the forerunners for over a decade and they don't plan on letting up any time soon.
Abysmal is their most recent outting, and while the guys in The Black Dahlia Murder don't throw you any curveballs, they really don't have to. Trevor's signature vocals are obviously the most distinguishable aspect of the band. Throat piercing high pitched screams mixed with sinister death growls are what we've come to expect. But honestly, Trevor has gotten even better over the years, something some metal vocalists can't say for themselves. Another thing that these guys never fail to do is create some damn catchy riffs. Once again, drawing a lot of influence from At the Gates in that aspect. These guys have a certain way of using melody and making it sound ultra dark. The Black Dahlia Murder aren't an "atmospheric" band by any means, but they definitely know how to give off a really evil sounding vibe and they've always been able to do that.
Overall,
Abysmal is another excellent addition to the band's discography. Like I said before, these guys just seem to get better with age. Every member of the band is on top of their game here, and while they might never top
Nocturnal, they don't need to try because they're still extremely talented at what they do. A lot of people shun them because of their early core influences, but if you're one of those people you're missing out on, in my opinion, one of the very top melodic death metal bands around today.
