Reviews list for Whitechapel - The Valley (2019)

Since the mid-2000s, Whitechapel has proven themselves to be a true developer in deathcore, a metalcore genre so extreme yet controversial in the metal community. As much of a plague people might consider the genre, it's innovative forces like Whitechapel that lessen the bad rep deathcore has gained. The more brutal bands (more brutal than my comfort zone) Carnifex and Job for a Cowboy have taken their brutal aggression from Whitechapel's earlier albums that in turn have some Suffocation influence...

Recently, however, the extreme aggression in their sound became much less. Their usual deathcore is still around in Our Endless War and Mark of the Blade, but those albums marked the beginning of the band's more progressive djenty side, especially in the latter album. Longtime fans hated this softer direction, especially they go far into clean singing. Personally, though I like the more melodic clean moments, it's the djenty side (which I normally like) that's in the wrong. It's too over-the-top and experimental for the band's standards. 3 years later, the band fix everything with The Valley. It's more progressive yet the heavier riffing is brought back to form. An excellent balance!

Starting this journey is "When a Demon Defiles a Witch", in which they continue to shine with their usual deathcore at its d*mn heaviest here! Right after the short acoustic intro is when you experience the fast aggression of the drums and guitars. And there's more of that chaos to come... "Forgiveness Is Weakness" returns to more of the band's earlier sound. "Brimstone" takes on the band's more groove-ish side. Power ballad "Hickory Creek" is definitely different, the first song by the band to be entirely clean-sung.

"Black Bear" is more of a groove/nu metal-ish track a bit like Korn in the riffing. However, it's so catchy, unlike in the previous two albums that didn't mix right. "We Are One" once again throws back to the classic sound, with some incredible soloing. "The Other Side" has more of that groove.

"Third Depth" can switch from clean to heavy without being too abrupt. You can also hear the bass sounding more audible and muddy in a nice way. It's a beautiful heavy sludge-ish tune that has put the deathcore sound to a halt. The sludge continues in "Lovelace" while keeping the deathcore fury. "Doom Woods" isn't the band's first rodeo when it comes to 6-minute epics. This time, it's a doomy deathcore track similar to what The Acacia Strain were going for that year. Could've been more fulfilling though...

At last, the solid production is back on! Mark Lewis, who has produced albums by bands like Trivium, helped the band bring back the earlier greatness. It's like the sound of the previous two albums has been enhanced and mixed with their earlier days. The old and new are combined in The Valley, bringing the band's glory back to their fans' lives!

Favorites: "When a Demon Defiles a Witch", "Forgiveness Is Weakness", "Hickory Creek", "We Are One", "Third Depth"