Some bands wait entire careers to release their masterpiece. Machine Head’s “The Blackening” was thirteen years in the making. Behemoth took twelve, finally releasing the unparalleled “The Apostasy” two years ago.

Then there are the unfortunate bands that release their masterpiece a little too early. When The Black Dahlia Murder came out with “Nocturnal” in 2007, only four years after their debut, it was tough to imagine their career could go anywhere from there.

Somehow, “Deflorate” pulled it off. At first listen, Deflorate is hardly different than “Nocturnal,” which could have been deadly to the albums success. Nothing is worse than following up a spectacular album with an effort to repeat it. What save it are the subtle differences.

For one, there is the obvious. Former lead guitarist John Kempainen is no longer around (the affectionate track “Denounced, Disgraced” is about the breakup), while old Arsis’ guitarist Ryan Knight replaces him. In many of the album’s guitar solos it is easy to tell that Knight is trying to use a similar style to what the band used to have. This trick had no chance of fooling TBDM fans, while the solos are exceedingly more technical and chromatic. They don’t have the same charm as the old solos, and they do sometimes seem awkward, like in the album’s first single, “Necropolis.” For epic tracks like “I Will Return,” though, they fit far better. Overall, Knight’s solos might take some getting used to, but they do separate “Deflorate” from its predecessor.

“Deflorate” is also considerably less dark than “Nocturnal,” and takes on a chunkier, more death metal tone. The lyrics are probably the least personal that Trevor Strnard has ever written, which does take some more of the charm out of it. However, they are not any less brilliant, with tracks like “That Which Erodes the Most Tender of Things,” about a mother and her dead child. Many of the songs take on a more overtly religious tone, reminiscent of Slayer, and Strnard uses considerably more guttural vocals than in previous albums.

Overall, “Deflorate” had no chance of surpassing the greatness of “Nocturnal,” but it is a more than adequate follow-up. It certainly has less memorable tracks (“I Will Return” is probably the highlight), but there is also not a single bad song on the album. Despite blowing their best material on “Nocturnal,” The Black Dahlia Murder have proven that they are far from done.