Ok, so I’m not really sure where to start with Whitechapel. When they first came onto the scene, they absolutely blew me away and This is Exile and A New Era Of Corruption are my favorite albums and are both masterpieces and in my opinion haven’t been beaten, after this their output varied wildly for me.
The last album I really like being Our Endless War my main issue was the shift in styles of their later albums, I know that sounds really close minded but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me at all and when I heard the were going back to being heavy again I was more than skeptical and I’m not sure fully what to expect from their eighth album Hymns In Dissonance.
My worries aren’t instantly eased with Prisoner 666 as it has a prolonged atmospheric build up that fills me with dread but when it explodes into life, it does so in glorious fashion and takes me back to the good old days full of scattergun lyrics that are as brutal and devastating as ever.
My worries aren’t instantly eased with Prisoner 666 as it has a prolonged atmospheric build up that fills me with dread but when it explodes into life, it does so in glorious fashion and takes me back to the good old days full of scattergun lyrics that are as brutal and devastating as ever.
The thundering beatdowns and insane drum work are all there, the riffs are thick and chugging and it just puts a smile on my face, why did they ever change? Hymns In Dissonance sounds like it was lifted directly from This Is Exile and I don’t mean this in a derogatory way, that is the highest compliment I could pay this track, it shows Whitechapel in utterly devastating form from start to finish and banishes any thoughts that they don’t mean business!
Diabolic Slumber gives us a bit of a meat and potato deathcore track, and this is only based on the high standards set by these guys overall output, it’s got a strange mix in places and not sure it really sits right overall.
There are no such issues on A Visceral Wretch which is an all-consuming monster of a track that has Whitechapel’s sound firmly nailed onto it, with punishing drums stomping all over you with no mercy, disgustingly good guitar work throughout and of course the vocals are just brilliant as always, this is bound to be yet another classic song in their back catalogue.
Ex Infernus is a bit of an unneeded atmospheric interlude but it does allow you to re-group before Hate Cult Ritual hammers you to the wall again, with probably the fastest and most exhilarating track on the album.
There is not one single time this track is not grabbing hold of you and throwing you walls of riffs, blast beats and even the solos don’t signal a drop in the intensity, this song is just s pure hate filled adrenaline rush.
The Abysmal Gospel does then slow down and takes a more measured approach to start before another blitzkrieg of blast beats and wailing guitars drop in and then the main verse drops in and completely annihilates you again, the way this album has just kept this level of brutality all the way through is just breathtakingly good!
Bedlam lurches into life with another more measured focus and while it’s all done brilliantly enough, I feel that it just maybe drags its heels a bit too much compared to most other tracks on this album and suffers slightly for it.
You feel that maybe Mammoth God may also suffer from this as well as it takes a while to get going but thankfully once it does there is no such worries, it incorporates some of the more later day cinematic approach to the sound but still manages to be brutally heavy, mesmerizing and even beautiful in a way, trust me just listen and you will understand what I mean.
Nothing Is Coming For Us saves possibly the best for last and with its slightly longer run time it allows for more experimentation and mixing of all the staple sounds that have made Whitechapel the phenomenon they are today.
They know when to attack and when to hold back (slightly) and the way they intertwine everything on this track is a stunning way to make you remember that when they want to be the there really is nobody on this planet who are as good as Whitechapel.
I think that it is clear to see that I loved this album?! The way it was all weaved in together to give old fans what they may have been missing from recent releases but also manages to incorporate the more recent sound for fans who may have come to the Whitechapel party later in their career is truly spectacular.
I think that it is clear to see that I loved this album?! The way it was all weaved in together to give old fans what they may have been missing from recent releases but also manages to incorporate the more recent sound for fans who may have come to the Whitechapel party later in their career is truly spectacular.
It also reminds you that at their best they are probably one on the heaviest bands on planet earth. Now, yes of course there were a couple of tracks that for me weren’t perfect, I get that but even with that in mind they would probably be most other bands’ best tracks and that stands as a testament to how good Whitechapel are when they are on this form.
If you’re an old school fan like me you will love this album, if you’re a more recent fan I think you will love this album and if this is your first time listening to Whitechapel (where the fuck have you been??) you will love this album.
If you’re an old school fan like me you will love this album, if you’re a more recent fan I think you will love this album and if this is your first time listening to Whitechapel (where the fuck have you been??) you will love this album.
Please let me make this clear if you don’t listen to this album and love it you are one of 2 things, deaf or just plain stupid, if that offends you for any reason I am sorry but I don’t really care, this album is an essential listen and you will not regret taking the time to hear it. 10/10
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