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The Black Dahlia Murder is an American melodic death metal band from Waterford, Michigan, formed in 2001. Trevor Strnad (vocals), Brian Eschbach (guitar), and John Deering (guitar) founded the band. Over the years, the lineup has seen several changes, with key members including Ryan Knight (guitar), Max Lavelle (bass), and Alan Cassidy (drums). The band has released ten studio albums: Unhallowed (2003), Miasma (2005), Nocturnal (2007), Deflorate (2009), Ritual (2011), Everblack (2013), Abysmal (2015), Nightbringers (2017), Verminous (2020), and Servitude (2024).
The Black Dahlia Murder has achieved significant success in the metal scene, with several albums charting on the Billboard 200. Their intense live performances and relentless touring have earned them a loyal fanbase. The band is known for their technical proficiency and blending melodic elements with brutal death metal, making them a standout act in the genre. They have headlined numerous tours and festivals and continue to be a prominent force in the metal community.
BLACK DAHLIA MURDER STUDIO ALBUMS
Unhallowed (2003)
Released June 17, 2003
Unhallowed is the debut studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on June 17, 2003, through Metal Blade Records. The album is characterized by its melodic death metal style, blending aggressive vocals with intricate guitar work. It established the band as a force in the metal scene.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, John Kempainen on guitar, David Lock on bass, and Cory Grady on drums. Unhallowed was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder and Mike Hasty and recorded at Cloud City Studios in Detroit, Michigan, in 2003.
CD Track Listings:
- “Unhallowed” – 1:59
- “Funeral Thirst” – 3:55
- “Elder Misanthropy” – 2:34
- “Contagion” – 3:22
- “When the Last Grave Has Emptied” – 3:11
- “Thy Horror Cosmic” – 2:55
- “The Blackest Incarnation” – 4:43
- “Hymn for the Wretched” – 4:18
- “Closed Casket Requiem” – 4:25
- “Apex” – 5:05
Miasma (2005)
Released July 12, 2005
Miasma is the second studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on July 12, 2005. The album built on the success of their debut, featuring more complex compositions and faster tempos. It peaked at number 118 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, John Kempainen on guitar, David Lock on bass, and Zach Gibson on drums. Miasma was produced by Andreas Magnusson and Randy Vanderbilt, with mixing by Magnusson and Eric Rachel at Trax East Studios in South River, New Jersey.
CD Track Listings:
- “Built for Sin” – 1:15
- “I’m Charming” – 2:54
- “Flies” – 3:26
- “Statutory Ape” – 3:42
- “A Vulgar Picture” – 3:37
- “Novelty Crosses” – 3:51
- “Dave Goes to Hollywood” – 3:59
- “Miscarriage” – 3:09
- “Spite Suicide” – 2:52
- “Miasma” – 4:41
Nocturnal (2007)
Released September 18, 2007
Nocturnal is The Black Dahlia Murder’s third studio album, released on September 18, 2007. This album saw the band refining their sound and achieving critical acclaim. It reached number 72 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest-charting album at the time.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, John Kempainen on guitar, Bart Williams on bass, and Shannon Lucas on drums. Nocturnal was produced by Jason Suecof and The Black Dahlia Murder and recorded at Trax East Studio in South River, New Jersey, in 2007.
CD Track Listings:
- “Everything Went Black” – 3:17
- “What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse” – 3:50
- “Virally Yours” – 3:02
- “I Worship Only What You Bleed” – 1:59
- “Nocturnal” – 3:12
- “Deathmask Divine” – 3:37
- “Of Darkness Spawned” – 3:22
- “Climactic Degradation” – 2:39
- “To a Breathless Oblivion” – 4:57
- “Warborn” – 4:40
Deflorate (2009)
Released September 15, 2009
Deflorate is the fourth studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on September 15, 2009. The album continued the band’s trend of combining brutal death metal with melodic elements. It debuted at number 43 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, Ryan Knight on guitar, Bart Williams on bass, and Shannon Lucas on drums. Deflorate was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder, Jason Suecof, and Mark Lewis and recorded at studios in Michigan and Florida in 2009.
CD Track Listings:
- “Black Valor” – 3:09
- “Necropolis” – 3:30
- “A Selection Unnatural” – 2:50
- “Denounced, Disgraced” – 3:43
- “Christ Deformed” – 3:30
- “Death Panorama” – 1:54
- “Throne of Lunacy” – 3:34
- “Eyes of Thousand” – 3:13
- “That Which Erodes the Most Tender of Things” – 3:01
- “I Will Return” – 5:34
Ritual (2011)
Released June 21, 2011
Ritual is The Black Dahlia Murder’s fifth studio album, released on June 21, 2011. The album features a more atmospheric and dynamic sound, with themes inspired by the occult. It reached number 31 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, Ryan Knight on guitar, Bart Williams on bass, and Shannon Lucas on drums. Ritual was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder, Jason Suecof, and Mark Lewis and recorded at studios in Michigan and Florida in 2011.
CD Track Listings:
- “A Shrine to Madness” – 4:40
- “Moonlight Equilibrium” – 3:28
- “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” – 4:42
- “Conspiring with the Damned” – 3:44
- “The Window” – 3:39
- “Carbonized in Cruciform” – 4:46
- “Den of the Picquerist” – 1:30
- “Malenchanments of the Necrosphere” – 4:18
- “The Grave Robber’s Work” – 3:37
- “The Raven” – 2:58
- “Great Burning Nullifier” – 3:25
- “Blood in the Ink” – 4:40
Everblack (2013)
Released June 11, 2013
Everblack is the sixth studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on June 11, 2013. The album returns to darker themes and heavier soundscapes, receiving critical acclaim. It peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, Ryan Knight on guitar, Max Lavelle on bass, and Alan Cassidy on drums. Everblack was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder and Ryan “Bart” Williams and recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Florida and Rustbelt Studios and Regal Fecal Studios in Michigan in 2013.
CD Track Listings:
- “In Hell Is Where She Waits for Me” – 5:20
- “Goat of Departure” – 3:52
- “Into the Everblack” – 4:33
- “Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn” – 4:33
- “Phantom Limb Masturbation” – 5:10
- “Control” – 3:26
- “Blood Mine” – 3:26
- “Every Rope a Noose” – 3:52
- “Their Beloved Absentee” – 5:01
- “Map of Scars” – 5:19
Abysmal (2015)
Released September 18, 2015
Abysmal is the seventh studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on September 18, 2015. The album features relentless speed and aggression, cementing the band’s reputation in the death metal genre. It reached number 45 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, Ryan Knight on guitar, Max Lavelle on bass, and Alan Cassidy on drums. Abysmal was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder, with Mark Lewis and Ryan “Bart” Williams handling recording and engineering, and was recorded at studios in Michigan and England in 2015.
CD Track Listings:
- “Receipt” – 4:02
- “Vlad, Son of the Dragon” – 2:56
- “Abysmal” – 3:41
- “Re-Faced” – 3:50
- “Threat Level No. 3” – 3:46
- “The Fog” – 3:50
- “Stygiophobic” – 3:14
- “Asylum” – 3:38
- “The Advent” – 3:41
- “That Cannot Die Which Eternally Is Dead” – 4:29
Nightbringers (2017)
Released October 6, 2017
Nightbringers is the eighth studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on October 6, 2017. The album showcases a refined and polished sound, featuring complex compositions and technical proficiency. It debuted at number 35 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, Brandon Ellis on guitar, Max Lavelle on bass, and Alan Cassidy on drums. Nightbringers was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder, with Ryan Williams, Brandon Ellis, and Joe Cincotta handling recording and Jacob Hansen handling mixing and mastering.
CD Track Listings:
- “Widowmaker” – 3:21
- “Of God and Serpent, Of Spectre and Snake” – 3:49
- “Matriarch” – 3:24
- “Nightbringers” – 3:35
- “Jars” – 3:37
- “Kings of the Nightworld” – 3:13
- “Catacomb Hecatomb” – 3:37
- “As Good as Dead” – 3:34
- “The Lonely Deceased” – 5:06
Verminous (2020)
Released April 17, 2020
Verminous is the ninth studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on April 17, 2020. The album is noted for its experimental approach and lyrical themes centered around decay and pestilence. It peaked at number 99 on the Billboard 200.
The album features Trevor Strnad on vocals, Brian Eschbach on guitar, Brandon Ellis on guitar, Max Lavelle on bass, and Alan Cassidy on drums. Verminous was produced by The Black Dahlia Murder and Brandon Ellis. Drums were recorded at The Pipeyard Studio in Plymouth, Michigan, while guitars, bass, and vocals were recorded at The Shred Light District in Morristown, New Jersey.
CD Track Listings:
- “Verminous” – 3:49
- “Godlessly” – 3:27
- “Removal of the Oaken Stake” – 4:25
- “Child of Night” – 3:37
- “Sunless Empire” – 3:57
- “The Leather Apron’s Scorn” – 3:33
- “How Very Dead” – 3:07
- “The Wereworm’s Feast” – 4:35
- “A Womb in Dark Chrysalis (Interlude)” – 0:48
- “Dawn of Rats” – 4:35
Servitude (2024)
Released September 27, 2024
Servitude is the tenth studio album by The Black Dahlia Murder, released on September 27, 2024, through Metal Blade Records. It is the band’s first studio album following the death of founding vocalist Trevor Strnad in 2022, with co-founder Brian Eschbach moving from guitar to lead vocals and former guitarist Ryan Knight returning to the lineup.
The album features Brian Eschbach on vocals, Ryan Knight and Brandon Ellis on guitars, Max Lavelle on bass, and Alan Cassidy on drums. It was produced by Brandon Ellis and Mark Lewis. Guitars, bass, and vocals were recorded at Ellis’s home studio in New Jersey, while drums were recorded by Mark Lewis in Nashville, Tennessee.
CD Track Listings:
- “Evening Ephemeral” – 3:55
- “Panic Hysteric” – 3:06
- “Aftermath” – 3:01
- “Cursed Creator” – 3:35
- “An Intermission” – 0:28
- “Asserting Dominion” – 3:30
- “Servitude” – 3:27
- “Mammoth’s Hand” – 3:53
- “Transcosmic Blueprint” – 3:48
- “Utopia Black” – 3:59
Read More: Top 10 The Black Dahlia Murder Songs
Updated August 23, 2026.
Complete List Of The Black Dahlia Murder Albums And Discography article published on ClassicRockHistory.com Ā© 2026



























