Review Summary: Whitechapel's latest release show's that when it comes to deathcore, not every band has to consist of just breakdowns and chugs.
The genre of deathcore has never been the given the greatest of praise, mostly because of the assumption that all bands in the sub-genre sound the same. Which is true to a certain extent. Many deathcore bands seem to consist of nothing but chugs and overused breakdowns with very little variety. For their first three albums, Whitechapel has been one of those bands for a while now. But however... with Whitechapel's latest offering just released last year, it seems as if the band might be starting to change for the better.
I have never been a really big fan of deathcore, but the band's newest (and self-titled) release really caught my attention the first time I listened to it. Whitechapel has, indeed, changed some things for the better. The most notable change is that the band has (mostly) stripped away the breakdowns so often used in deathcore, and focus more upon actual riffs this time around. It’s a refreshing change, for sure. Other than some vocal improvements and a minor sound change as well, this is still Whitechapel through-and-through.
The opening track “Make It Bleed.”, is the perfect example of show casing the bands newest sound, as this track opens with a melodic piano interlude. It’s unusual for a deathcore band, but it sounds good. The next track is “Hate Creation” which opens up with some great riffing before the vocalist boasts a ferocious roar. The riffing is great and the bass drumming is fast. A solid song overall. The third track “(Cult)uralist “ helps keep things interesting by show casing a great solo near the end of the song, and “I, Dementia” implores more a sludgy sound unlike the previous tracks. The next track “Section 8” is actually taken from the band’s “Recorrupted” EP and isn’t anything truly special, but the song is probably just there to remind us that the old Whitechapel hasn’t been forgotten. “Faces” features great bass drumming and a cool chorus, and “Dead Silence” opens with great riffing and proves to be one of the best songs on the album. More piano playing is featured on “The Night Remains” and “Devoid” and the last track “Possibilities of an Impossible Existence" is a great closing track.
Before I close this review, I should note that the song writing hasn’t changed, but who listens to Whitechapel for the lyrics anyway?!
So Overall, this is an excellent new start for Whitechapel, and many fans are sure to enjoy this! Let’s hope Whitechapel keeps heading towards this direction, as it’s great listening to a deathcore album that isn’t all chugs and breakdowns.
