TBDMI have never quite understood why this band has been lambasted by hordes of so called death metal fans when TBDM’s music is some of the most brutally potent and technical extreme death metal around. Often tagged with core tendencies this US act is as punishing as it is technical yet possessing deft melody that bastions of death metal used to have but now since lost in favour of pandering to hand waving technical fans instead of plain pulverising the listener with a sonic sledgehammer, like TBDM do on each of their albums. This is the bands sixth full length and sits on top of new drumming recruit Alan Cassidy whose skill has to be a match for the gifted Shannon and certainly is judging by the aural bombardment on “Everblack”.

And so after my somewhat lengthy absence from Ave Noctum scribing for a while due to ill health I am greeted with this battering and absolutely gripping death metal album that starts with “In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me” a more or less prophetic tune for me personally just through its title. The tune builds inconsequentially, meandering and flowing carefree before it erupts full scale with a monumentally addictive riff and spiteful vocal tirade. Quite a bit of the riffing on this release had me scribbling indecipherably the name of Amon Amarth due to their density and powerful melodic bludgeoning. The monster riffs continue into “Goat Of Departure” with some exquisite tangential drops in pace and accompanying kick drum annihilation. Memorable riffs are hard to come by in death metal these days but this tune has them to point of saturation.

The death metal Armageddon of “Into The Everblack” has a borderline slam riff with interlocking guitar hooks. It’s a beastly song and has traits of Germany’s Neaera for me, with that bruising macho stance but with hyper blasting snare mayhem. As I suggested there are noticeable hints of Amon Amarth throughout the album and whilst this is a super fast album I’d say it’s a tad slower than their previous crushing effort “Ritual”. What sets TBDM apart from other death metal acts is their ability to write cohesive songs that flow from one section to another without sounding like a bunch of riffs have been spliced together for the sake of it and cemented by hyperblasting drums. There is so much more to this bands music that to discard them as irrelevant is criminal, as many did when I saw a number of supposed death metal fans walk away even before the bands set at Bloodstock last year which was a shame and really pissed me off at the time.

Anyway gripe over and “Phantom Limb Masturbation” has an authentic death metal demolition akin to the likes of Blood Red Throne, another criminally under rated band in this country as the riffing offensive seemingly shows no bounds to the creative ingenuity at play here. “Blood Mine” is plain aural thuggery with a sound not far off the likes of the very old Gothenburg death metal sound from ages ago as even the soloing has a skilful melodic exhibition similar to the likes of Mr Amott. As with all of TBDM albums the focusing of speed with a relentless pummelling assault of riffs, bass and vocal growls, gurgles and spittle laden screams concentrates each of this albums songs into intense savage bursts of musical ferocity. It always seems that bands of this ilk like to finish their albums with a more thought provoking song as these guys choose to end theirs with “Map Of Scars” which has some symphonic and choral chant elements before a virtual speed metal and matching double bass salvo. I thoroughly enjoy The Black Dahlia Murder’s music, I always have done and throughout their decade or so history, and this release sees the band setting the bar even higher so that few death metal acts will even manage to brush against this year.

8.5/10  (Martin Harris)

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