Music
Trevor Strnad
1981–2022 · singer, lyricist
Frontman of the Black Dahlia Murder, the melodic death metal band from Waterford near Pontiac that became one of the most popular American extreme metal acts of the 2000s.
- Born
Waterford, Michigan- Died
aged 41- Detroit years
- 1981–2022
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Trevor Strnad grew up in Oakland County and in 2001 co-founded the Black Dahlia Murder in Waterford, near Pontiac, with guitarist Brian Eschbach; the band took its name from the unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short. After a demo and an EP on a small label, the group signed with Metal Blade in 2003 and released Unhallowed, recorded with Michigan engineers from the local metalcore scene. Strnad's shrieks and growls and his gory, literate lyrics fronted a relentless touring band that played Ozzfest in 2005 and placed eight straight albums on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 31 with Ritual in 2011. A devoted fan and collector of underground metal, he was known for championing younger bands. He and Eschbach were the only constant members until Strnad's death in May 2022 at 41; the band continued, with Eschbach taking over vocals.
Highlights
- Co-founded the Black Dahlia Murder in Waterford, Michigan (2001)
- Signed to Metal Blade Records in 2003
- Ritual (2011) reached No. 31 on the Billboard 200
- Sang on the band's first nine studio albums