Is it really ten years of Whitechapel? It’s hard to believe, but with current album ‘mark of the blade’ celebrating exactly that, it’s time to realise that the years are flying by and I’m not really sure where they have gone! Despite ten years in the game, Whitechapel sound, if anything, more relentlessly brutal than ever on this crushing release. Certainly time has not caused the band to take stock of their surroundings and as opening track ‘the void’ demonstrates so ably, Whitechapel are pushing themselves harder and further than ever. A dynamic, monstrous slab of sound, ‘mark of the blade’ is Whitechapel playing at the peak of their game and, happily the album loses gives no ground over the ensuing ten songs.
Having set the scene with such vitality, Whitechapel launch into the title track with no less commitment, building to a deft groove that is as crushing as it is irresistible. Vocalist Phil Bozeman still sounds meaner than a Rottweiler with its genitals caught in a mantrap and the guitars growl with a down-tuned fury that seems to throb in the air a few centimetres in front of the spears form which the sound is emanating. Opening with a heavily filtered sound, ‘Elitest ones’ builds slowly, guitarists Ben Savage and Zach Householder neatly interlocking riffs and solos to create a sound that is both brutal and yet atmospheric at the same time – something that producer Mark Lewis captures perfectly. Opening on a subtle note, ‘Bring me home’ sees Whitechapel expanding their sonic pallet considerably with a song that has more in common with Slipknot’s ‘snuff’, at least at the outset, than the band’s more normal brand of soul-crushing metal. It’s deftly done and the juxtaposition between the beautifully sung clean verses and the scarifying chorus gives the band a whole new bag of dynamic tricks to play with. A dark, emotional song that taps into long-repressed emotions, ‘bring me home’ is an amazing song, and its more restrained approach does much to make ‘Tremors sound even more brutal’ with its juddering riffs and brutal lyrics. The first half of the album concludes with ‘A killing industry’ which emerges from buzzing electronic noise and builds to psychotic levels of intensity.
The second half of the album opens with the Meshuggah-esque riffing of ‘Tormented’, a darkly mesmerising track that sees Whitechapel tearing their demons apart with a fury that is unsettling. In contrast, the instrumental ‘Brotherhood’ has an acoustic opening that allows the listener room to breathe before the next sonic battering. With some deeply impressive guitar work, ‘brotherhood’ demonstrates the band’s instrumental prowess only for ‘dwell in the shadows’ to emerge with a white-hot fury that sears the listener with its toxic delivery. A more groove orientated track, ‘venomous’ is a straight-ahead blast that gets the head banging before the band round things out with the mid-paced ‘Decennium’, another track which features clean vocals and a distinctly Stone Sour vibe.
Whitechapel have long been a byword for extremity and, whilst there are those who will undoubtedly resent their forays into the melodic, the transition feels natural here with Phil Bozeman demonstrating a fine voice and the band a natural skill at incorporating memorable swathes of melody into their otherwise brutal music. Like most bands on their sixth album, Whitechapel were faced with the difficult choice of whether to progress or remain still and, to their credit, the band have progressed and done so in a manner that feels evolutionary rather than retrograde. ‘Mark of the blade’ is easily Whitechapel’s most dynamic entry and whilst I can see some fans taking issues with the more diverse approach taken by the band, there is much to enjoy here from a band who continue to surprise and innovate.
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