Whitechapel
                                                                                                               Title: Whitechapel
                                                                                                               Label: Metal Blade Records

Whitechapel are a hardworking, touring band and have won over a lot of fans in the past and with this album their fan base will increase even more, their self-titled album is unexpected and really is different compared to previous Whitechapel albums the band is evolving all the time and growing stronger.  

The album opens with a dark and haunting piano you are then lead into an all encompassing sound of deafening drums, epic guitar solos, and dark atmospheric angry metal with 'Make It Bleed'. 

These Tennessee metallers have a gem of an album here.  The first single from the album 'Hate Creation' grabs you and batters you senseless with the pounding violence as the six man band go all out to get your attention.  '(Cult)uralist' is a song about those in power leading society, rather than society standing up for themselves and being positive about the future.  

 

I really like 'I Dementia', a song we have featured on The Metal Gods Meltdown  podcast in the past, the song is vicious and very menacing.  'Section 8' starts at a slower pace, with a creepy intro of 'We Are Nothing' the song speeds up and gets frantic halfway through with mind bending and contorted nastiness as Phil Bozeman spits out 'Section 8'. 

'Faces' is worth getting this album alone for seriously.  'Faces' has amazing drumming, dark and brooding bass and lyrics that deal with the bands cynicism with the human race.  'Dead Silence' continues the theme of humanity, dealing with deceit and demise the longest track on the album it is more than angry, this is ferocious!!. 

'The Night Remains' again batters you into submission, this band sure has a lot of anger at the world and show it in a most malevolent form, digging into the depths of hell and awaking a very pissed off Lucifer. 

 

After the darkness and insanity of the previous track 'Devoid' has the sombre piano and then mid-way through the band kicks into an instrumental number and we have a bit of a reprieve from the angst and hate that Whitechapel do so well, the final track 'Possibilities of an Impossible Existence' is delivered with venom a head banging, bitter and profane finish to an excellent album, at the end you are again introduced to the piano that opened the album and left to catch your breath. 

 

To sum up the whole album is very dark and melancholy in theme and vocalist Phil Bozeman certainly makes it so and excelling in delivering the lyrical content.

Whitechapel are a band you either love or hate, I would say whatever you feel regarding the bands previous releases this is a penetrating, hard and ruthless album that takes no prisoners and is well worth listen.

 

Review by: Seb Di Gatto

 

Tracklisting:

1. Make It Bleed
2. Hate Creation
3. (Cult)uralist
4. I, Dementia
5. Section 8
6. Faces
7. Dead Silence
8. The Night Remains
9. Devoid
10. Possibilities Of An Impossible Existence