Well, we are just drowning in new metal this fine Tuesday.

Revolver is hosting a stream a new song by The Black Dahlia Murder, “A Selection Unnatural,” off the band’s forthcoming Deflorate, which Metal Blade will release on September 15. Vocalist Trevor Strnad gives some background on the track:

I was watching some crazy shit on birth defects on the health channel and I wanted to try to recreate the feelings of horror and repulsion that people react with when seeing these kinds of unfortunate images. “A Selection Unnatural” is meant to be a science-fiction shocker about the short life of a terribly deformed mutant of a child. From the moment he is born he is kept in labs and is regarded as a living medical marvel, poked and prodded by scientific minds wondering how such a being could come to be. How could such a thing occur in nature? Is he a human being like you and I? I was trying to find a balance between completely describing the creature and leaving a bit up to the imagination and let the listener decide exactly what it would look like. The person telling the story is meant to sound disgusted, a voice of sheer cruelty and indifference to the child’s life. He wonders what the boy’s purpose was on this earth, scoffing at his plight. The title is obviously a play on Darwin’s theory of natural selection.

This is the first song that the band has released since lead guitarist John Kempainen flew the coop, and it should come as no real shock that former Arsis axeman Ryan Knight fills his shoes nicely. The two men clearly have different styles, but different isn’t always bad, and Knight’s solo here rips.

As for the song itself… I like it, but it doesn’t hit me as hard as some of their other material. It seems a little more spastic than we’re used from BDM. That being said, it might just be a grower… I’ve only listened to it once so far.

Stream “A Selection Unnatural” and read the rest of Strnad’s insights on it here.

-AR

Thanks to reader Adam Bailey for the tip!