WHITECHAPEL – Mark of the Blade
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 15-06-2016
Tennessee deathcore act Whitechapel appear with their sixth studio album "Mark of the Blade". Having witnessed their obliteration of audiences at last year’s Mayhem Festival, it’s refreshing to be able to make out more of the low growls vocally from Phil Bozeman on record. Employing three guitarists allows certain melodic/ harmonic aspects to come to the forefront, making the instrumental section of "Elitist Ones" and horror-like instrumental "Brotherhood" semi-interesting. Those who live for those dramatic guitar/drum buildups into incessant riff/breakdowns will find "The Void" and "Tormented" delightful, it’s just too repetitive and predictable for me to consistently take this in on an entertainment level.
They are good at what they do – it’s just Whitechapel appeals more to that angst ridden late teen to twenty-something generation more than an old school metal follower.