The Verminous Remnant Tour Show Review
The Black Dahlia Murder was one of the first modern death metal bands I discovered and will always be one of the pivotal bands that introduced me to extreme metal. I had already discovered other legendary bands, such as Death, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse. But when I listened to Unhallowed and Miasma, I knew that Black Dahlia Murder was the future of death metal.
That’s why it shook me—as it did everyone else—when vocalist Trevor Strnad passed away. But when I saw the band was continuing with Brian Eschbach as the vocalist and the band brought back one of my favorite guitar players, Ryan Knight, I knew I had to check out this reinvented Black Dahlia Murder. And I couldn’t pass up that Verminous Remnant Tour lineup, especially with Phobophilic and Frozen Soul.
Let’s start this review with Phobophilic. I discovered this band a few months ago when I was listening to one of my favorite metal radio shows. I’ve been listening to a lot of that dark, esoteric death metal that’s reminiscent of Demilich. Phobophilic is one of the bands that do this sound the best, so they were one of the main bands I wanted to see on this bill.
I wasn’t disappointed in their set at all. They gave an amazing performance and were one of my favorites of the night (right behind Black Dahlia Murder).
I wish the lighting was better so I could have gotten more pictures, but their sound was really good. I especially love the disorienting guitar sound, and they captured that uncanny vibe during their live set. I can’t wait to see these guys live again and to see what else is in store for them.
Next up was Fuming Mouth. This band has been around since 2013, but I never heard of them before. They played a good live set. All the bands had a lot of energy, and their sound was great. Their vocalist especially did a killer job; he was very expressive and still captured the life of the band, even between singing and playing guitar.
However, they weren’t my favorite band on the set, but that’s because I’m biased. Their sound combines death metal and hardcore, and I wasn’t a fan of the hardcore elements of their sound. They still played well, and I enjoyed their set.
But I was so excited for the next band, Frozen Soul! If you follow my blog, you may remember me discovering this band when they toured with Napalm Death a few months ago. I was blown away; they combine the best of that Bolt Thrower warfare sound with the brutal Florida death metal style, all mixed with some cold black metal.
And like the last time I saw them, their set absolutely slapped. As the heaviest band on the bill, the riffs and bass dominated the performance—as it should have. But everyone in the band was solid, especially vocalist Chad Green. His vocals sound inhuman and evil, like an ice monster ready to attack.
Everyone had a great stage presence, doing a lot of headbanging. The crowd was acting wild, and some of my friends said they went to the show specifically for Frozen Soul. I’m glad they had such a phenomenal response because this band deserves it.
Terror was up next. As I said, I’m not a hardcore fan, and can’t even get into a legendary band such as this one. But even as someone who doesn’t like the genre, I will say they put on a really energetic live show.
As I expected, their stage presence was unmatched. Every single member was jumping around on stage, coercing the crowd to act insane. There was so much moshing and stage diving, I had to get out of the photo pit because it was becoming a death sentence (which is why I have no pictures of Terror).
It’s respectful to see a band with such an influence on so many people. I talked to people at the show who were only there for Terror, saying they grew up listening to the band.
Finally, Black Dahlia Murder was up next. I was anticipating how Brian’s vocals were going to sound. No one can top Trevor’s distinguishable vocals, but I still didn’t watch any footage of past shows because I wanted to be surprised.
As expected, I didn’t think Brian’s vocals were as good, but he still did a decent job. Plus, I can’t think of anyone better to fill Trevor’s spot. Brian has been in the band since the beginning, and I’m sure that’s what Trevor would have wanted.
Otherwise, the show was as memorable as any Black Dahlia Murder show. I’m so glad Ryan Knight is back in the band—he and Brandon Ellis slayed on guitar. They played so many of my favorite songs, such as “Funeral Thirst” and “Deathmask Divine.”
Overall, I’m glad Black Dahlia Murder is still going. I’m curious to listen to new material without Trevor. But even if the new material isn’t the same, it’s important that BDM prevails. RIP Trevor. I know this is what he would have wanted.
