Reviews list for Whitechapel - Whitechapel (2012)

With the creation of their 2012 self-titled album, Whitechapel was really rolling the dice. They were taking on a different direction compared to their brutal starter trio. The Somatic Defilement was a solid extreme start. This is Exile showed some improvement building. Then A New Era of Corruption rules on the throne. So what about their 2012 album? Sharing the throne! What's different is, there are more melodies and solos than before, and that really shows how unique the band is in deathcore!

Alongside the melody, there's also more atmosphere in the music. It adds to the uniqueness of the sound, and even gives the songs in this album some difference from the ones in their previous albums. For the guitars, technicality is added more to the mix while standing by what they're known for. The guitar trio continue to work as part of the team, as the noise-ridden walls continue to fall and crush, though it can work just as well with just two guitarists instead of 3. And like I said, there are more guitar solos! If you thought the band's previous albums have common soloing, there are so many of them here that DragonForce would be amazed.

"Make It Bleed" starts the album as my favorite here! That sweet piano intro is a wonderous change of pace, right before the deathcore fury crashes in. The guitar solo is one of the finest I've heard from this band. "Hate Creation" is enjoyable as well, especially in the breakdowns, filled with sh*ts-load of brutality. His attempt at cleans when he says "I'm so sick of all these people" kinda brings down a few percentage points though. "(Cult)uralist" has some of that kick-A soloing.

"I, Dementia" is another favorite of mine here, and it has another top-notch solo for this band! The breakdown here is in the same tempo as the song, but it's much better for the structure than for that of previous songs. The riffing during that is definitely welcome! There's some more of the clean whispering, but it greatly adds to the atmosphere. "Section 8" has a pretty chorus. "Faces" has some greatness that is missing from people listening to deathcore without an open mind. Same with "Dead Silence" which is absolutely satisfying for heavier listeners.

It segues into "The Night Remains", which doesn't grab my attention too much, but it's still very solid. The instrumental "Devoid" has nice soft piano just like in the beginning of the album, but then it makes an excellent switch into a deathcore breakdown, like soldiers getting for the final war... "Possibilities of an Impossible Existence" unleashes the last of the album's power before the album ends where it began, with that beautiful piano melody. It's so great!

Although you can think of this release as a concept album, it's the band's first two albums that follow a lyrical concept. Whatever your opinion is, if it's polarizing, you probably haven't paid close attention to the band's maturity, as this album has the most of it. This and A New Era of Corruption make the band's greatest album duo!

Favorites: "Make It Bleed", "I, Dementia", "Faces", "Dead Silence", "Possibilities of an Impossible Existence"