“We’ve been somatically defiled, exiled, we owe this to an era that has come to an end.” That’s right ladies and gentlemen, today we look at an era killing album that will have obnoxious little brats everywhere eating their deliciously ironic words. I am going to level with everyone right off the bat and let you know that this album isn’t the sell-out garbage many people are claiming it was going to be after hearing “Hate Creation” and “I, Dementia”. In its whole, this turned out to be the most mature sounding album from Whitechapel, and will hold itself high in the ranks of elite deathcore. What I mean to say is fans of this band, and new listeners alike, are going to be fisted so hard by Whitechapel’s self titled album that prolapsed anus’ are guaranteed. Let’s use those hairy ham fists to punch the play button already.Initially my thoughts for the opening song “Make Them Bleed” was “Why is there piano playing on my Whitechapel album…was I sent the wrong album?” only to be completely spanked by some thrashy riffing with occasional acoustic guitar transitions that remind me something of what Wretched did in their instrumental tracks. I didn’t see something like this coming from one of my long time favorite deathcore bands, but I really enjoyed the change. Whitechapel kept their legendarily bone-crunching heaviness, but finally found that progressive aspect they’d lacked. I discovered all of this in the span of the intro. Whitechapel was never really known for having the most technical guitar work, but their progress this time around is like watching a young lion maul its first gazelle. The solos heard on tracks such as “Make them Bleed”, “(Cult)uralist”, and the particularly eerie “Faces” come out of the blue, but once again show that the band is growing up, and quickly.Don’t be scared though, minions, there is more than enough breakdowns to keep this album on repeat for you. “Faces”, “Dead Silence”, “The Night Remains”, and “Section 8” are absolutely menacing. “Dead Silence” is particularly lead heavy and will be a treat for everyone, excited or not. I actually liked “Hate Creation” once I got to hear it with the rest of the tracks. For those of you who didn’t like the whispered vocals, this doesn’t happen more than once or twice in the entire album. I don’t think it was the best choice for the first single. I think even less about “I, Dementia” as I think it shouldn’t have been on this album. It doesn’t really fit. It’s not necessarily a bad track in any way, but the other songs are so damn good that it gets so out shined. Alex Wade, you should have pushed “Reborn” harder. Moving on.”Devoid” pops up towards the end of the album as the only instrumental on the album clocking about three minutes, and isn’t just filler. In fact, “Devoid” has an incredibly sexy melody that made me notice that Whitechapel had utilized all three guitarists, and you could hear them. This song alone made me listen to the album another 10 times to try and hear more of this…lo and behold the boys did it. Now the band can stand apart from others who like to have the extra member to fill out the stage.The final track on the album “Possibilities of an Impossible Existence” is a solid finisher. It’s slower and more suspenseful, much in the regard of The Black Dahlia Murder’s “I Will Return”. It leaves a really good taste in your mouth, and probably will make you lift up those hammy knuckles of yours to hulk-smash the play button again.I won’t lie, after hearing “Hate Creation” and “I, Dementia”, my thoughts were like many of yours, but I assure you that this is obliteratingly heavy and complex. The self-titled album has a seat high in my fight for album of the year, and I urge both new and old fans alike to purchase it on June 19th and see for yourself.
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