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

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.