Whitechapel - Hymns in Dissonance (2025)^{Release ID: 58203}

You always remember your first right?

My introduction to deathcore was This is Exile in 2008. Having not listened to anything heavier than Machine Head or Lamb of God at that time, I felt isolated by that album at first; even to this day, I'm still perplexed by it. Perhaps it was because of lowered expectations by the other similar bands from that time that This is Exile became my foundational deathcore album that I compare all others to.

In the years since, Whitechapel have gone on some wildly different directions. They created an alternative death metal album with The Valley and then doubled down and added progressive techniques with 2021's Kin. But in 2025, I could tell that something was up. For starters, Whitechapel have changed their nameplate back to the original, a moves that typically marks a rougher shift in tonality. "A Visceral Retch" was promoted in preparation for the new album and my hardcore friends lost their minds. And then those same friends bombard me while I'm on vacation telling me "IT'S THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR!" so I guess I'm caving. What do I think of Hymns in Dissonance?

"Prisoner 666" begins very ominously, before an explosion of sound hits your ears with a riff that is all too reminiscent of "The Saw is the Law". As the album carries on, it becomes apparent that Hymns in Dissonance is not trying to be Whitechapel status quo. While this album might be listed exclusively as "Deathcore" on RateYourMusic, that is not to say that the progressive metal from the last two albums is not present here. Listen to those choruses on "Prisoner 666" and "Hymns in Dissonance" and tell me that power chord accompaniment isn't inspired by Ne Obliviscaris or the recent Job for a Cowboy record Moon Healer.

It's apparent within the first two tracks with extended runtimes as well. A shade over five minutes might not seem like much to the progressive metal snob, but to a hardcore fan, this is heaven. And it is of course a very good thing too when the songs are well composed also. I enjoyed how the "breakdowns" on songs like "Diabolic Slumber" are presented and executed; like with Spiritbox just last week, breakdowns are connected to the material preceding it and makes these songs feel complete. Whereas songs like "Hymns in Dissonance" leave a lot to be desired with their outros. The back half of the album is far less progressive following the "Ex Infernis" interlude and, while a fun listen, leaves me with little to talk about. Very heavy deathcore feel, but brought into the modern era.

The album closer "Nothing Is Coming for Any of Us" confirms what I already suggested earlier in this review. Hymns in Dissonance is not Whitechapel remaking This is Exile in 2025. This is an album that has taken the lessons of those progressive albums like The Valley and Kin as well as the state of deathcore in the current day, while also adding some of the classic Whitechapel sound that made them such a household name in the scene nearly twenty years ago. The first half of the song uses the "breakdowns but slower" technique, while the second half turns into a instrumental feature. I'm not a fan of either of these two parts to be honest, but it is quite the change of pace from the run of songs that led up to this moment, and I appreciate the ambition.

Perhaps the record would be better with a cleaner production. Now, I should expect less given this is a Metal Blade production, but even the earlier Whitechapel records produced through this label didn't sound as overblown as this. Part of that likely comes from the instrumentation, which contains three separate guitar players. The reasoning has always been so that Whitechapel can play these songs without compromising during live sets, which is fine. But whenever the band has one of those patented vocal breaks, every single time the instruments return the mix warbles from the intensity and volume. It does get slightly better during the back half of the record, but it still creeps its head during every breakdown.

That mixing is what's gonna hold this back for myself and likely many others. Because on songwriting alone, Hymns in Dissonance is quite good. Whitechapel haven't sounded this angry since the self titled album and they've managed to merge it with their more progressive songwriting of the 2020s. Phil Bozeman has one of deathcore cleanest vocal deliveries, but even I had a harder time than usual trying to hear the words that were being said. If you want a real hardcore thrasher, I can see why you might consider this as your album of the year; this is very much the opposite to Lorna Shore's Pain Remains.

As for me, I can't hate this, but I don't love it. Hymns in Dissonance is the kind of record I hoped Moon Healer might be with its aggression. There are flashes of excellence here, but they are harder to see through the dark clouds.

Best Songs: Prisoner 666, Diabolic Slumber, Hate Cult Ritual, Mammoth God