Saying The Black Dahlia Murder vocalist Trevor Strnad loved death metal is like saying James Hetfield likes downpicking – no shit. It's part of who they are. Every time I read something written by Strnad, or saw a photo of him, it seemed like he was either talking about or wearing a shirt from some unknown death metal band. The guy's knowledge of the genre was simply unparalleled, and is one of the great losses in his death (alongside his talent, friendship, personality, and everything else).
Among the flood of tributes to the life and works of Strnad comes a touching tribute from modern rising stars in death metal, Undeath. Strnad gave their debut album Lesions Of A Different Kind an extra boost by guesting on the title track, which the band is eternally grateful for. In a touching Instagram post that's sure to rip your heartstrings right out of your chest, Undeath thanks Strnad for everything and just… pays tribute to someone who cared so goddamn much.
"We love you so much, Strnad.
Thank you for your passion, your generosity, your humor, your immense talent and your indomitable spirit.
When this band was nothing – just Kyle, Matt and I rolling around in Kyle’s astrovan, too broke to even buy a tuner pedal – you were the first person to ever ride for us. When we needed someone with a killer voice to bring Lesions home, you were the first and only name on our list. I know I’ve thanked you a billion times for all this, but I wish I got to tell you at least one more time how much you changed our lives.
"You took us out on the first big tour we ever did and gave us experiences that we will all cherish and remember for the rest of our lives. That meant everything to us. It still does. It always will.
"To everyone else: hold your people close. Never let them forget how much you love them. How important their life is to yours. We’re all that we have.
"Rest easy, Trevor. As long as there's a young metalhead out there getting introduced to the good stuff by someone even the tiniest fraction as cool and inspiring as you, you'll never really be gone."
