Live review of the The Black Dahlia Murder show at Dublin’s Opium venue on 18.06.2024
The Black Dahlia Murder (formed in 2001) have been a favourite band of mine ever since I first watched their 2009 Documentary; Majesty! Everything about the band instantly drew me in; their sound, their energy, their passion, even their attitude towards experiencing everything that came with touring. They were fun! Not only that, but they connected with me, I felt like I knew them……I wanted to know them! Since then, I’ve followed every release, every tour. I travelled to see them play in four separate countries when they neglected to play Ireland between their European or UK festival dates. I had always felt nothing but excitement at the prospect of seeing them live! This time was going to be different however; this was the first I would be seeing them without founding member and vocalist, Trevor Strnad, who passed away just over 2 years ago in May 2022.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I arrived at the venue. I wasn’t sure whether I was ready to have my many fond memories of Black Dahlia’s live performances diluted by a version of the band that didn’t include Trevor. Although their line-up had changed countless times throughout the years; Trevor was a constant. His absence was a difficult one to reconcile, especially as I had had the pleasure of drinking with him following his last gig in Dublin in 2019. Ex-guitarist and sole remaining founding band-member Brian Eschbach now stood in Trevor’s place as the band’s frontman, replaced on guitar by returning ex-bandmate Ryan Knight. There was a comfort in that, it felt like the right fit; Brian had recorded backing vocals on all of their albums since the bands inception and Ryan had produced some of their best material during his first stint as the bands lead guitarist. I wouldn’t want the line-up to be any different, but still, I wasn’t ready!
Minutes before the band were due to start, Brian brushed up towards the stage from the back of the arena; hunched over as though he felt the full weight of the crowd’s expectation upon him. I wondered first did anyone else notice him, then, how different everything must feel to him and the rest of the band. As the lights faded, my grip tightened around my pint glass and my heart began to race. The band skipped onto stage as ever, took their marks, and unleashed the intro to Verminous on the small venue as Brian confidently engaged the crowd. Suddenly, I could breathe again! This mightn’t be the Black Dahlia I remember but it was definitely Black Dahlia!
Brians vocals impressed me immediately. They were raw, less dynamic and less powerful than Trevor’s but the intensity was there, as was the passion! He pulled no punches in tackling even the most difficult vocal tracks of the bands back catalogue, involving the crowd in what felt like a celebration of Trevor’s work as opposed to a replication of it. There was clearly a catharsis in this for Brian. He was no longer the
awkward, raw nerve he appeared to be in footage from his first shows as frontman; he was animated, he was energetic, he was incredible!
The set was perfect! After Verminous they lunged into What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse and Kings of the Nightworld, both of which received just as warm a reception from fans as I had ever seen when played before! An interesting standout for me however was the song they played next, the bands new track; Aftermath. I could pinpoint the moment in that song when I fully accepted Brian as Black Dahlia’s vocalist. One minute and thirty seconds in, punctuated with the lyrics “Old world long gone. Those left the remnant insane, carry on”. A strong message, and one I clearly needed to hear! Everything has an end, now at least, the end of one era for The Black Dahlia Murder comes with a new beginning!
A beginning I’m thankfully, now, very excited for!
Reviewer – Joe Moran @iosaf_o_explosiff