Support Musicians – Buy Music – Black Dahlia Murder Rant

Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder is not happy. He recently made a rant about fans and the music industry. Basically, TMDM has more than a million likes on Facebook. Yet their music sales are barely enough to keep the band in business. The music industry does not care about people’s feelings. A Record Label will only keep a band if that band is making money. If the band tips below a certain margin of profit – all those things fans love, the albums, the songs, the tours – all that will be gone.

Ever since digital downloads started taking off in the 90’s, the music industry has been going further and further down the tubes financially. Gone are the days of Rock Star Luxury. These days most bands eat Taco Bell three times a day and sleep in their touring van after shows. I’d say 99% of musicians also have another job – a crappy part time job at McDonalds or Five Guys – just to the pay the bills.

I’m sure there are other reasons for the industry going down hill, such as the promotion of terrible pop music and so on. Yet I think the decline in album sales has a correlation to the production of a crappier sound and a harder lifestyle for musicians who actually are talented.

So if you like a band – please buy their music! I know the economy is bad. I know some of you are struggling. But even buying one or two songs on itunes can help. Thanks

Here’s Trevor’s Rant:

“HOW IT IS: We have almost 1,000,000 likes on here. Will we sell 1,000,000 copies of Everblack? Fuck no! The reality is that 98% of you ‘fans’ are going to be content to steal the album and in turn we get nothing… a laughable fragment of the ‘likers’ will actually be cool and pick it up.

It’s not about the money, the reality is that we get chump change for CD (and digital) sales BUT WE NEED TO SELL THEM TO EXIST! If there are no record sales the music industry will stomp us out like a bug and it’ll be completely over… the sales show them ‘how relevant’ we are.
If you don’t buy the albums they’ll determine that there is no demand for TBDM, and there won’t be any more awesome concerts, tours, dvds nor new music. Sure we understand you may really love our tunes, but if you haven’t paid for them, it’s a total loss to us… all the love in the world isn’t going to mean shit in the end. We need your support and every two years I am going to ask the same thing of you and make the same goddamn argument.

Think of it like a vote… If you’d like to see us continue our reign of terror over the metal world, you’ll pick up a copy of “Everblack”. It’s as simple as that. – Trevor on behalf of The Black Dahlia Murder”

The Black Dahlia Murder “Into the Everblack”

Videos Promote Bands, But Buying Their Music is Even Better!