By Cody Thomas

Music elitism may very well be a disease running rampant through the metal community. Many metalheads refuse to acknowledge the value of pop music. While this is a huge mistake, it is undeniable that the underground nature of metal presents some excellent advantages. When The Black Dahlia Murder performed at Santos Party House this past March 20th, they gave their audience a show Lady Gaga fans could never hope for.

Exhibit A surfaced before the band even took the stage. Rhythm guitarist Brian Eschbach mingled with the audience while the opening bands played. This set the tone for a very intimate evening.

When the band took the stage, they immediately began acknowledging fans with handshakes and fist pounds. Singer Trevor Strnard even accepted snacks from one enthusiastic female fan. As in most metal shows, as soon as the music started all sense of personal space disappeared. Anyone within the first 20 feet of the stage had very little control over where they were standing, as the crowd swayed violently back and forth. Strnard and Eschbach fed off this energy and frequently got as close to audience members as possible. When Strnard spotted fans that seemed familiar with the lyrics, he regularly grabbed them and screamed the words into their faces.

Crowd surfers had no security guards to catch them and usually ended up on stage next to the band. Many of these fans took the opportunity to sing into the microphone along with the welcoming Strnard, clad in his usual red gym shorts, shirtless with his “heartburn” tattoo splayed across his stomach. While Strnard and Eschbach commanded the attention of the entire venue, bassist Bart Williams and drummer Shannon Lucas stayed casual by keeping away from the limelight (aside from a brief rendition of the opening to Rage’s “Take the Power Back).

The climax of the show came with only two songs left. The band performed “Miasma” as if it were the last time they ever would. Eschbach screamed the lyrics back at fans, sweat dripping from his long hair and eyes clutched tightly closed.

When the show finished, the band humbly packed their own gear and chatted with fans. No contrived encore followed, but none was needed. The audience was sufficiently satisfied