Black Dahlia Murder lead singer Trevor Strnad doesn't believe that metal and menace necessarily need to go hand-in-hand.

Heavily inspired by Scandinavian death metal, a particularly aggressive heavy metal subgenre, Black Dahlia Murder builds its sound around pummeling riffs, extreme volume and Mr. Strnad's ability to shift seamlessly from a scream to a growl. It's a musical form most often associated with dark imagery and scowling musicians adorned in matching shades of black. Mr. Strnad doesn't believe that extra baggage is required and said that the band, appearing in Augusta for a special Halloween show at Sector 7G, comprises regular guys who just happen to love extreme music.

"We figure the ultimate statement is always going to be the album," he said in a recent telephone interview. "What's important is having good music and a good live show. For us, it isn't about image, which, it's funny, has kind of become our calling card."

Mr. Strnad said he's particularly excited to play Augusta because it will be a Halloween show, an appropriate date for a metal concert.

"Having a show where people break out of the norm is always great," he said. "And Halloween, well, Halloween is always about surprises."

The band released its fourth album, Deflorate , in September. Mr. Strnad said this outing found the group experimenting with classic metal elements like heavy hooks and melody.

"It was just a natural thing for us," he said. "When we started out, our influences were a little more obvious, bands like Carcass, and you can still hear that a little. It was one of the things that separated us from the pack. But now we're incorporating some classic rock stuff, things you might hear on a Rainbow record."

Deflorate debuted at No. 50 on the Billboard Top 50 Albums chart, an extraordinary showing for a death metal act. Mr. Strnad said he has been surprised by the way his metal band has been accepted by fans.

"It has already surpassed all of our expectations," he said. "I mean, we're just nerds and music fans who prove that you don't have to be cool looking. You either love metal or you don't."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.