With the upcoming tour announcement of this year’s Summer Slaughter line up many concertgoers will be in for a treat. Michigan based The Black Dahlia Murder released a statement saying the band will be performing their Nocturnal album in its entirety for their set each night of the tour, to celebrate the albums 10th anniversary. Nocturnal was a turning point for the band as it was the follow up to the very successful Miasma, and is the last album with John Kempainen at the lead guitar helm.
Nocturnal starts off with the blazing intro track ‘Everything Went Black.’ A nod to the Gothenburg styled death metal that the band has seemed to Americanize over the years. The track is riddled with double bass and blast beat drums, along with an overdriven solo from Kempainen. This track is not a dip a toe in the water starter, but more of a jump in the lake experience for its listeners, as it comes at you full force and unapologetic.
To come right off the heels of ‘Everything Went Black,’ the band dives right into ‘What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse.’ The title is a play off a quote from the game, Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest. This track has a machine like feel with the precision riffs between Kempainen and Brian Eschbach, only to be enforced by the drumming of Shannon Lucas.
Another standout track from the album is ‘Deathmask Devine.’ One of my personal favorites from the band. This track churns along to a rapid-fire pace, definitely not a resting point in the middle of the album for its listener. This track live has so much energy, as vocalist Trevor Strand can be seen doing as he has called it ‘casting spells’ over the crowd. Standing over the edge of the stage with one hand out over the crowd as he rips through the vocals.
Nocturnal still stands up to this day as a solid death metal release. The Black Dahlia Murder took a playing style from Europe and put their own spin on it. It seemed that the band found its roots with Miasma, but rather refined its sound with Nocturnal. Be sure to catch the album played in its entirety at this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour.
Summer Slaughter 2017 Tour Dates
7/27 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
7/28 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
7/29 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
7/30 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
8/02 – Knoxville, TN @ The International
8/03 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
8/05 – Austin, TX @ Come & Take It Live
8/06 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live!
8/07 – Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
8/09 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
8/10 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
8/11 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove of Anaheim
8/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
8/13 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
8/15 – San Francisco, CA @ The UC Theatre
8/17 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
8/19 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
8/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze
8/22 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
8/23 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
8/25 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater
8/26 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora Theater & Ballroom
