By Josh Bicknell
Whitechapel has long been a dominant force in deathcore, carving out a legacy with their punishing sound and relentless evolution. With nearly two decades under their belt, the Tennessee-based juggernauts are set to unleash their ninth studio album, ‘Hymns in Dissonance’, a record that sees them venturing into fresh conceptual territory while also delivering a crushing return to form. Departing from the deeply personal themes of their recent works, this album instead plunges listeners into the sinister depths of a cult devoted to the seven deadly sins. It’s a theatrical descent into madness, wrapped in some of the most comically heavy, gut-punching brutality the band has delivered in years. Through a twisted narrative, Whitechapel weaves together a haunting exploration of corruption, devotion, and self-destruction, proving once again why they remain one of deathcore’s most formidable forces.
Opening with eerie guitar leads and static, ‘Prisoner 666’ wastes no time before slamming the listener with a thick, downtuned riff and punishing drum fills. Then, in true Whitechapel fashion, Phil Bozeman detonates the album wide open, belting out the song’s title with a monstrous scream. Relentless in its pacing, ‘Prisoner 666’ rages forward with crushing intensity before delivering the first of many wicked, twisted guitar solos. But it’s what follows that truly stands out: after the solo, the band pulls back nearly all instrumentation, leaving Bozeman to scream into open space before slamming the full force of the band back in. It’s a devastating trick that will resurface throughout the album, adding a theatrical flair to its already grotesque sound. The track then dissolves into static, seamlessly bleeding into the titular ‘Hymns in Dissonance.’
Being one of only two singles, listeners had high expectations for ‘Hymns in Dissonance’, and those are certainly met. The track opens with a long, low guttural growl before launching into a nasty instrumental groove. This is followed by a massive ascending, sliding scream that transitions into Phil delivering his lyrics in an intense, fast spoken-word cadence, layering over frenetic guitars. ‘Hymns in Dissonance’ shifts the focus onto the cult-building aspect of the narrative. It’s about a leader assembling followers, the most heinous and vile people, showing devotion through terrible acts. This sets the stage for the seven cardinal sins that the album explores. The final sludgy breakdown brings this idea of vile devotion to a head, as for the first time the guitars shift from the usual drop G down to drop F, creating a crushing introduction to their twisted narrative. In this moment, we also get a taste of Phil’s new revised high screams, adding even more intensity to the track.
Tackling the first two sins, sloth and gluttony, ‘Diabolic Slumber’ and ‘A Visceral Wretch’ present their respective vices with brutal force. ‘Diabolic Slumber’ opens with ominous guitar leads and rapid drum fills before transitioning into thick, distorted guitar chugs paired with Phil Bozeman’s signature sliding growls. Fittingly, the track’s pace is initially slow enough to allow for headbanging, reflecting its theme of sloth. The lyrics “we watch, we wait” encapsulate the apathy of watching the world crumble while doing nothing to intervene, a stark portrayal of sloth that transcends mere idleness. Structurally, the song harks back to the early days of Whitechapel, drawing clear inspiration from Somatic Defilement, with its disjointed and unpredictable transitions, opposed to the typical verse/chorus format, leaving listeners on the edge of their seats.
‘A Visceral Wretch,’ representing gluttony, paints a picture of monstrous demons endlessly gorging themselves. The scale of their gluttony is embodied through Zach Householder’s gargantuan riffs, which are further amplified by pitch-shifting technology, and yet another devastating tuning shift to drop F. This closes out the single with gut-punching intensity. Together, these tracks powerfully capture their respective themes and serve as a brutal introduction to the twisted nature of the cult’s sins.
Track five, ‘Ex Infernis’, offers a brief respite from the spine-crushing heaviness of the record. Translating to “from below” or “hell” in Latin, Whitechapel intended this interlude to evoke an evil, ritualistic atmosphere, thematically symbolising the beginning of the cultists’ ritual to open the portal for their leader. In this regard, they certainly succeeded; listening to this track places you in a setting akin to Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom. Before long, their dizzying heaviness returns with ‘Hate Cult Ritual,’ which represents the sin of wrath. The song opens with a sinister chant that builds into a crescendo of overwhelming rage. Its lyrics, “We hunt, we kill, we feast, we conquer” conjure images of the cultists roaming the earth, slaughtering all who stand in their way. Stylistically, this track stands out for its pummelling riffs, evil chanting choruses, and bending guitar solos, and perhaps more interestingly for its lack of breakdowns. This decision somehow makes the track even more unrelenting than its predecessors, making it one of the album’s highlights.
Tracks seven and eight, ‘The Abysmal Gospel’ and ‘Bedlam,’ dive into the sins of pride and envy, delivering some of the heaviest moments on the album. ‘The Abysmal Gospel’ opens with a bass-heavy, slow chug that truly invokes a sense of dread. The distortion is thick and punishing, building into an immense scream that kicks the track into full gear. The song showcases a blend of influences, with its bass-driven first riff morphing into a grindcore-influenced passage, before weaving in a more melodic chorus that acts as a catchy hook. It’s a ferocious mix that further ramps up the intensity, while lyrically highlighting the cult leader’s arrogance through his now heightened sense of self-importance.
Following this, ‘Bedlam’ offers a similar chugging start, before sliding into slower, more methodical spoken-word screams, as well as a brutal pig squeal. As the track builds, it launches into the album’s bounciest riff yet, guaranteed to set mosh pits ablaze in a live setting. From there, the song transitions into a big melodic chorus and even more bouncy riffs to close it out. Together, these two tracks perfectly capture the essence of pride and envy, from mocking the divine to portraying Daemon’s jealousy towards his brother, the cult leader.
Tracks nine and ten, ‘Mammoth God’ and ‘Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us,’ bring the album to a stunning close, delving into the sins of greed and lust. ‘Mammoth God’ opens with somber guitar leads, offering a brief respite before quickly escalating into the blistering drums and riffs that have defined the album. Around the one-minute mark, Whitechapel pulls the familiar trick of stripping back the instrumentation, creating space for Phil Bozeman’s filthy new high screams to fill the void. The next verse is my favourite part of the album, featuring a rhythmic chugging section that builds into an incredible guitar solo, followed by another devastating vocal performance from Bozeman. Thematically, this track explores the greed-fuelled conquest of land and wealth, painting the picture of a god consumed by avarice, so desperate that he wishes to kill himself just to claim the title of slayer of all gods.
‘Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us’ serves as an epic closer, weaving together the album’s key elements, slamming breakdowns, low guttural vocals, and expansive guitar solos. The track takes on a borderline orchestral tone at times, and its thematic focus centres on the earth, personified as a woman bearing the child of their lord. However, the cult leader feels no love for the earth, adding to the unsettling nature of the track. As described by vocalist, Phil Bozeman, the ending is both beautiful and unsettling, and is also left completely up to interpretation. A fitting conclusion to potentially Whitechapel’s best record to date.
‘Hymns In Dissonance’ marks a triumphant return to form for Whitechapel, delivering the band’s signature, ridiculously heavy sound with a depth that few deathcore bands can match. Its concept, lyrically intertwined like twisted poetry, offers an unsettling yet fascinating narrative, solidifying the album as one of their best records.
- ‘Hymns In Dissonance‘ is released today (Friday 7 March).
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