Deflorate

Deflorate is The Black Dahlia Murder's fourth album, on which they sharply wove high-speed blasts and melodic guitar to refine their aesthetic. It is the first album with guitarist Ryan Knight (ex-Arsis), who replaced John Kempainen, and his outstanding fast playing and technique push the band's expressive power to a new dimension. Reaching No. 43 on the US Billboard 200 — the band's first chart entry — it is an important record on that count as well. It sold about 12,000 copies in its first week and drew attention for a bonus-DVD edition, "We're Going Places." The advance single "Necropolis," with a hypnotic main riff and ferocious development, is a signature song. From the drive of the opener "Black Valor" and the tension of "A Selection Unnatural" to the drama of "I Will Return," songs full of shifting dynamics line up. Trevor Strnad's roars grow still sharper, and the twin guitars of Knight and Brian Eschbach keep drawing dizzying harmonies. Balancing technique and aggression at a high level, it is an accomplished work that became a foothold toward maturity.