Michigan’s own The Black Dahlia Murder promised new music this month, and sure enough, they dropped a doozy on us. Tuesday saw the new track “Verminous” hit streaming services, as a first taste of the upcoming album of the same name. Their newest slab of melodeath from the mitten is set to release via Metal Blade Records on April 17th, and will be the band’s first release since 2017’s Nightbringers, and their eighth studio album in total.
As the pre-orders for Verminous dropped, one option seemed to have fans both intrigued and confused. Limited to just 1,000 hand-numbered copies, a special edition of the album will feature a one-shot Dungeons and Dragons campaign based on the song and the cover art. The box set also includes:
24-page 8.5"x5.5" campaign booklet (complete custom D&D 5e compatible one-shot campaign by Dungeon Punx based on the Verminous cover art and title track)
7-dice set (black and green D4, D6, D8, D10, D10%, D12, D20 w/ custom toxic crescent moon symbol)
18"x9" die-cut Dungeon Master's screen
4x maps
4x creature encounter cards
5x blank character sheets
The experience has been tailored for players of all levels, though grabbing a 5th Edition Players’ Handbook is advised for those new to the world of tabletop gaming. In any case, this is one of the most unique marketing campaigns I’ve seen for an album, and bonus that it’s from one of the finest American melodic death metal acts out there.
You can pre-order the “Depths of Drasted” Edition of Verminous here.
In support of Verminous, The Black Dahlia Murder will first head out to South Africa in March, before hitting the road with Testament for a North American tour, featuring Municipal Waste and Meshiaak as openers. The band will also return to Europe this summer for the festival season, appearing at Hellfest, Bloodstock Open Air, and more.
Check out the lyric video for “Verminous” below.
