THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER Announces 2027 European Tour Celebrating 20th Anniversary Of 'Nocturnal'

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER has announced "Two Decades Of Nocturnal", a European headline tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's landmark 2007 album "Nocturnal". The trek will see the Michigan melodic death metal veterans perform a special set drawing heavily from the landmark album alongside fan favorites spanning their entire catalog, bringing one of extreme metal's most beloved records back to European stages this winter for a series of headline shows.

Comments THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER 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 U.S. 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 U.K. honored the album's release era by naming THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER "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 has 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 honors their fallen friend while celebrating the survival of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER as an ongoing entity." Metal Hammer U.K. 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 (U.K.),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" U.S. headline run and a 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:

Jan. 14 - Frankfurt - DE - Batschkapp
Jan. 15 - Köln - DE - Essigfabrik
Jan. 16 - Bochum - DE - Matrix
Jan. 17 - Berlin - DE - Columbia Theater
Jan. 18 - Hamburg - DE - Grünspan
Jan. 20 - Copenhagen - DK - Pumpehuset
Jan. 21 - Stockholm - SE - Debaser
Jan. 22 - Oslo - NO - John Dee
Jan. 23 - Gothenburg - SE - Filmstudion
Jan. 24 - Hannover - DE - Faust
Jan. 25 - Prague - CZ - Futurum
Jan. 26 - Krakow - PL - Kwadrat
Jan. 27 - Budapest - HU - Dürer Kert
Jan. 28 - Ljubljana - SLO - Kino Siska
Jan. 29 - Vienna - AT - Flex Club
Jan. 30 - Salzburg - AT - Rock House
Jan. 31 - München - DE - Backstage
Feb. 02 - Paris - FR - Petit Bain
Feb. 03 - Lille/Wasquehal - FR - The Black Lab
Feb. 04 - London - UK - The Dome
Feb. 05 - Tilburg - NL - O13 Next Stage
Feb. 06 - Drachten - NL - Drachten Deathfest
Feb. 08 - Nantes - FR - Le Ferrailleur
Feb. 09 - Toulouse - FR - Le Rex
Feb. 10 - Fribourg - CH - Fri-Son
Feb. 11 - Winterthur - CH - Gaswerk
Feb. 12 - Audincourt - FR - Le Moloco
Feb. 13 - Metz - FR - Haunting The Chapel
Feb. 14 - Karlsruhe - DE - Substage

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 U.S. 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, 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.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's current lineup:

Brian Eschbach - vocals
Ryan Knight - guitar
Wes Hauch - guitar
Max Lavelle - bass
Alan Cassidy - drums

Photo credit: Marshall Wieczorek