Comments vocalist Brian Eschbach: “Super excited to announce this celebration of Nocturnal‘s 20th anniversary which we will present across Europe this winter. The set will feature a great deal of material off the band‘s third release. Can‘t wait to see y‘all again”
Released on September 18, 2007 via Metal Blade Records, Nocturnal marked a defining moment in The Black Dahlia Murder’s career and in American extreme metal at large. Recorded with Eric Rachel at Trax East and mixed by Jason Seucof at Audiohammer, the album debuted at No. 72 on the Billboard 200 and earned the band Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Award for Best Underground Band. With its visceral combination of flesh-searing riffage, mind-bending guitar solos, and disgustingly poetic lyricism, Nocturnal pushed the boundaries of melodic death metal with an intensity and craft that resonated far beyond American shores. It remains, nearly two decades on, widely regarded as the gold standard of modern US melodic death metal and one of the most important extreme metal records of the 21st century.
European metal press recognized Nocturnal’s significance from the moment of its release. Metal Hammer UK honored the album’s release era by naming the band Best Underground Band at their Golden Gods Awards — a prize The Black Dahlia Murder were too busy touring to collect in person. Kerrang! has consistently cited the record as a cornerstone of modern melodic death metal, while Distorted Sound has described the band as “one of melodeath’s greatest, most consistent bands” — praise rooted firmly in the standard Nocturnal set.
The Black Dahlia Murder have faced extraordinary challenges since Nocturnal’s release and emerged from each one stronger. The passing of beloved co-founder and vocalist Trevor Strnad in 2022 threatened to end the band entirely, but the remaining members — led by co-founder Brian Eschbach, who stepped into the vocalist role — chose to honor Trevor’s legacy by carrying the band forward. Their tenth studio album, Servitude (Metal Blade Records, September 2024), marked Eschbach’s recorded debut as lead vocalist and lyricist, and was met with near-universal critical acclaim across Europe and beyond.
Kerrang! declared that Eschbach’s vocal performance “fits perfectly,” and that Servitude “faces down existential concerns with determination and defiance. Forged from tragedy and loss, it honours their fallen friend while celebrating the survival of The Black Dahlia Murder as an ongoing entity.” Metal Hammer UK praised the record, writing that the band “skillfully picked up where they left off… deciding to channel and celebrate him instead and the results are glorious.” Distorted Sound noted that “Eschbach is a commanding, venomous presence and never feels like a hollow recreation of Strnad,” reaffirming The Black Dahlia Murder’s place as “one of melodeath’s greatest, most consistent bands.”
The band’s return to European stages in 2024 — their first since 2019 — saw them perform at some of the continent’s most prestigious festivals, including Download Festival (UK), Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium), Hellfest (France), Wacken Open Air (Germany), Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Party San Open Air (Germany), Alcatraz Metal Festival (Belgium), and Bloodstock Open Air (England). Fresh from a triumphant Spring Fling 2026 US headline run and an ongoing co-headline North American tour with Arch Enemy, The Black Dahlia Murder arrive in Europe at the peak of their powers — bolstered by the addition of acclaimed guitarist Wes Hauch (Alluvial, ex-The Faceless) as a full member of the lineup.
TOUR DATES:
01/14/2027 Frankfurt DE Batschkapp
01/15/2027 Köln DE Essigfabrik
01/16/2027 Bochum DE Matrix
01/17/2027 Berlin DE Columbia Theater
01/18/2027 Hamburg DE Grünspan
01/20/2027 Copenhagen DK Pumpehuset
01/21/2027 Stockholm SE Debaser
01/22/2027 Oslo NO John Dee
01/23/2027 Gothenburg SE Filmstudion
01/24/2027 Hannover DE Faust
01/25/2027 Prague CZ Futurum
01/26/2027 Krakow PL Kwadrat
01/27/2027 Budapest HU Dürer Kert
01/28/2027 Ljubljana SLO Kino Siska
01/29/2027 Vienna AT Flex Club
01/30/2027 Salzburg AT Rock House
01/31/2027 München DE Backstage
02/02/2027 Paris FR Petit Bain
02/03/2027 Lille/Wasquehal FR The Black Lab
02/04/2027 London UK The Dome
02/05/2027 Tilburg NL O13 Next Stage
02/06/2027 Drachten NL Drachten Deathfest
02/08/2027 Nantes FR Le Ferrailleur
02/09/2027 Toulouse FR Le Rex
02/10/2027 Fribourg CH Fri-Son
02/11/2027 Winterthur CH Gaswerk
02/12/2027 Audincourt FR Le Moloco
02/13/2027 Metz FR Haunting The Chapel
02/14/2027 Karlsruhe DE Substage
Tickets available at: https://www.tbdmofficial.com/#tour
ABOUT THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER:
Formed in Waterford, Michigan in 2001, The Black Dahlia Murder are one of the most critically acclaimed and enduring bands in American extreme metal. Signed to Metal Blade Records since their debut full-length Unhallowed (2003), the band has released ten studio albums — eight of which charted on the US Billboard 200, with 2011’s Ritual peaking at No. 31 — and built a fiercely devoted global fanbase through relentless touring and an unwavering commitment to their craft. Multiple Summer Slaughter Tour headlining slots, appearances at Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting, Download Festival, Hellfest, Louder Than Life, Ozzfest, and Warped Tour, and recognition including Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Award for Best Underground Band have marked a career defined by consistency, passion, and artistic growth. Their tenth album, Servitude (September 2024), marks a powerful new era led by co-founder Brian Eschbach, who stepped into the vocalist role following the passing of beloved co-founder Trevor Strnad in 2022. With acclaimed guitarist Wes Hauch now a full member of the lineup, The Black Dahlia Murder continue to build on a legacy that remains as vital and uncompromising as ever.
Current Lineup:
Brian Eschbach – vocals
Ryan Knight – guitar
Wes Hauch – guitar
Max Lavelle – bass
Alan Cassidy – drums
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