One could argue that sitting a very top of the deathcore heap are All Shall Perish and Tennessee’s three guitar wielding Whitechapel, who made quite an impressive racket and impressed even some grizzled death metal fans with their debut The Somatic Defilement.
Now on Metal Blade Records, youngsters Whitechapel have delivered their anticipated sophomore album, and as you’d expect with residing on a higher profile label and the expectations following a well received debut, Whitechapel have made the expected changes in their sound to tighten up, and improve from their already impressive debut.
The best analogy I can make that that Whitechapel have made the same kind of honing to their sound that JFAC made between the Doom EP and Genesis (but with far better results) and more accurately, All Shall Perish did between Hate. Malice. Revenge and The Price of Existence. That’s too say, there’s been a further lean towards a more death metal sound, an overall fine tuning of song writing and skill, less reliance on breakdowns and an increase in solos and melody, allowing the three guitars to breath a bit more. Opener “Father of Lies”, “Possession”, “To All That Are Dead”, as well as instrumental “Death Becomes Him” and vaguely experimental, epic closer “Messiahbolical” are perfect examples that highlight the bands ever so slightly tweaked and matured sound.
Fear not though kiddies, This Is Exile still has plenty of blast beats and fearsome, chest collapsing breakdowns, highlighted by the likes of the title track (with a video that features an awesome five person, synchronized, if mostly hairless head bang to the album ending breakdown), “Daemon (The Procreated)”, “Eternal Refuge”, “Exalt”, “Somatically Incorrect” and instrumental “Legions”, that I’m sure will make you all kick each other and innocent bystanders in the face at the 2008’s Summer Slaughter Tour. Just please try and avoid me if you don’t want to be killed by having your trucker hat jammed up your ass.
Vocalist Phil Bozeman still has an inhumanly deep, inhaled sounding bellow and his lyrics have progessed from slightly forced death metal brutality and Zeuss has once again upped the ante on what heavy truly sounds like. The end result is a more developed and tighter album than The Somatic Defilement, which may have been the overall heavier effort, but Whitechapel, either way are easily one of the cream of the crop when it comes to this style of oft maligned music.
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Just checked ’em out. Still not my cup of tea, but I like it better than the tracks I’ve heard from the new All Shall Perish. I have a sinking feeling it’s going to be very disappointing.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 13:30yeah ive heard…… things about the new All Shall Perish.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 14:27just watched the video. I can’t decide if the synchronized body dipping is a joke or not. Either way it’s pretty funny.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 16:01One of the main things, if not the only thing, I had a problem with in their debut was the lack of any “real” or extended soloing. You would think with three guitarists that someone could play some kick ass leads.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 17:05So, on this new album is there any great lead work or should I stick with the opinion that they don’t need three axeslingers?
Yeah there are more solos Red-I mean its not like “HEY THEY HAVE THREE GUITARS” in your face or Human ABstract noodling, but its def. more present
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 17:35eh its okay much better releases this year in the deathcore/mosh department by Carnifex, Years Spent Cold, American Me etc………!
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 17:38I need to check Years Spent Cold, American Me out then
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 17:59American Me is def not in the same category as Whitechapel. I’d check out 4 in the Chamber’s new one for some moshtastic goodness.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 18:43So… I just listened to this and it was pretty good for what it is. Thank you Mr. Thomas for yet another great review. And the new All Shall Perish is going to be awesome.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 21:38PizzaClause, have you listened to the new ASP tracks online? Never Again is one long breakdown and their clean vocal debut on the title track is pretty underwhelming. The Price of Existence was brutal, this new one is shaping up to be a little kick in the shin.
on Jul 9th, 2008 at 22:18Great review as always.
I like American Me and Years Spent Cold but they can’t touch the intensity or songwriting of Whitechapel. 4 in the Chamber don’t even belong in this conversation.
on Jul 10th, 2008 at 11:25Yes I listened to both new songs and initially thought Never Again sucked, but I listened to it more times and found myself enjoying more and more. And they had clean vocals on The Last Relapse on The Price of Existence.
on Jul 10th, 2008 at 11:46I personally put Whitechapel and Carnifex on the same level-Years Spent Cold wernet even close after i gave em a listen.
on Jul 10th, 2008 at 13:06That breakdown/phantom bounce thing at the end of the video is heee-larious.
on Jul 10th, 2008 at 14:534 in the chamber lol thats wigger metal, ya but Years Spent Cold def have the nastiest breakdowns Ive heard in awhile they let those suckas ring. American Me’s breaks are just ridiculously violent. Though Carnifex i dunno if you ever seen those lads live but they beat out most of the competition in the deathcore sets PURE CARNAGE ALL I GOTTA SAY!!!
on Jul 10th, 2008 at 16:45Listened to the new asp songs, and I applaud the new approach, yes, this includes the clean vocals. Some good intense songwriting and finally gone with the ‘look at us, we are brutal’ attitude, which everybody seems to be needing so desperatly. Finally they are showing their talent.
on Jul 11th, 2008 at 07:31umm shockwave they showed some excellent talent on their last release to ya know.
on Jul 11th, 2008 at 20:32my deathcore fix for the summer, after the rather underwhelming with dead hands rising album. great review!
on Jul 13th, 2008 at 10:06swampthang, it shined through a bit in the songs, but it not showed as much as I hear in the new songs. Although it’s also a matter of taste.
on Jul 13th, 2008 at 16:55You dudes are crazy, I think the newest “These Balls will Be Scratched” and “It took Two Flushes” are much better especially if you are looking for some brutal breakdowns, because in all honesty it’s all about the breakdowns… Haha
on Jul 17th, 2008 at 06:22So Ive heard the New ASP in full-phew. those myspace tracks are the exception-good shit
on Aug 15th, 2008 at 00:02In my own personal opinion, people who create, promote, or are fans of deathcore should all go play jump rope in the middle of a busy interstate. But that’s just me…
on Dec 7th, 2008 at 10:12In my own personal opinion, people who make idiotic comments like the one above shouldn’t be allowed to breed or use the internet. But that’s just me…
…and no, I’m not a “defensive” deathcore fan either. I really don’t care for 99.9% of it.
on Dec 7th, 2008 at 20:16fuck yeahh mann, whitechapel’s the shit!
on Sep 10th, 2009 at 08:26What I’ve heard of these guys makes me want to hear more. Sick, brutal band. I like.
on Apr 16th, 2010 at 13:18