Black Dahlia Murder Singer Trevor Strnad Dies at 41

Trevor Strnad, lead singer and founding member of the Michigan death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder has died. He was 41. Though no cause of death was revealed, the band included the contact information for the Suicide Prevention Hotline below an official statement on social media.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Trevor Scott Strnad,” said the band in their post. “Beloved son, brother, and Shepard of good times, he was loved by all that met him. A walking encyclopedia of all things music, he was a hugger, a writer, and truly one of the world’s greatest entertainers. His lyrics provided the world with stories and spells and horror and whimsy. It was his life to be your show.”

Strnad formed the Black Dahlia Murder in Waterford, Michigan in 2001, pulling the band’s name from the unsolved 1947 Los Angeles murder of 22-year-old actress Elizabeth Short. Though the band’s lineup has shifted throughout the years, Strnad and guitarist Brian Eschbach remained the constant, original members up until Strnad’s death. The band’s most recent lineup also featured guitarist Brandon Ellis, bassist Max Lavelle, and drummer Alan Cassidy.

In 2003, the band released their debut album, Unhallowed, and continued to release eight more albums, including their most recent release Verminous in 2019, which Strnad called “the biggest evolutionary leap” the band had ever taken.

“It’s a very colorful, moody, and charismatic album that experiments with new sounds and ideas without losing the cutthroat Black Dahlia edge,” added Strnad of the band’s final album. “There is a lot of minutiae to digest, plenty of delicious little Easter eggs woven into the fabric of each song. Each one is a living, breathing entity that will stand on its own as some of the best music this band has ever created. We want an album to feel like a wild ride. A journey from beginning to end that has peaks and valleys.”

The Black Dahlia Murder was scheduled to tour in support of the album beginning in August 2022.

Photo: Metal Blade Records