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The Black Dahlia Murder have been around kicking ass for awhile now, and, if Deflorate is any indication, they don't plan on slowing down any time soon. They have the screaming and the guitar work and the Roadrunner drumming that has been present on previous albums; meaning that not a whole lot has changed, which is perfectly alright with me. These guys are sticking with the style that has served them well over the years; a style they have pretty down pat. There is no need to bring a hammer to a fixed birdhouse.
The odd thing about Deflorate is that the songs go by much quicker than they actually are. With all but two songs over three minutes, the music flies by in a lightning flash, leaving a sense that everything blends together without any separation. I don't mind that Deflorate can sound like one long song, but I don't think that was what they were aiming for.
Musically, this is quite the treat. The Black Dahlia Murder is a band with a ton of talent, which is showcased again on this album. The guitar work doesn't stop. There are crazy sounding leads, brutal breakdowns and creative parts. The kicker is the solo work, which at times sounds like just another lead, though its clearly a solo (sometimes, it seems like a lead going into a solo-check "Throne of Lunacy"). The double bass drumming pounds like a racing heart, synching up with the guitars to add some extra kick (no pun intended) when not hammering 32nd notes like a champ. The drums serve as the backbone to the rest of the music, controlling the tempo and seemingly what everyone else is doing (by giving the band time to rock out, solo, etc.), and Shannon Lucas rules the roost.
The heavy vocals of Trevor Stmand have, as always, been a strong point for a band with many strengths. Sporting a high and a low voice, he has the ability to steal the attention of the listener, which is quite a feat given everything that is going on musically. He serves as a great front man for The Black Dahlia Murder, and he uses Deflorate to remind everyone just how good he, along with the rest of the band, can be. This is, in my opinion, their strongest release to date.