This is one of those bands that I’ve always looked towards whenever I talk about the world of deathcore as, even though it’s a side of music that I don’t find myself visiting enough in recent years, it’s a style that intrigues me like any other. The brand of heaviness and emotion that tends to be brought to the table is something that can be done really well if put into the right hands, and Whitechapel constantly delivers. Where their last album admittedly sounded a bit streamlined with its still very solid line of songs, it’s with “The Valley” that we see Whitechapel explore new sonic territory that’s nigh on intoxicating.

Something that can really make or break an album is the variety of the songs. Some bands in some cases can make tracks that sound virtually the same without deviating or exploring too much outside of that, but I’ve always found an eclectic collection for a tracklist to be infinitely more entertaining and engaging. Fortunately, Whitechapel seems to have understood that with the creation of “The Valley” being an album that takes both of what people love about the style as well as Whitechapel itself and smashing it all together splendidly to form a record that’s overflowing with heaviness, emotion, sonic exploration, and heaps of intrigue that pepper every single song. It’s with “The Valley” that we see this band return from a solid 3-year breather from their previous album to bring us something that’s a real devastator in its own right as there’s very little downtime be it conducted by the vicious onslaught that we’ve come to expect from Whitechapel or a set of cleans that are hypnotic in a very unique and engaging way that tickles the ears real nicely. We’re given a terrific array of just about everything we could ask for out of this band from crushing riffs that sink their hooks right into you, vocals that are as quality as they are eclectic, rhythms that pummel you right into the fucking dirt, storytelling that’s as moving as it is unrelenting, and a nigh on undeniable power that permeates every single moment of “The Valley” from beginning to end.

Whitechapel may not be the biggest band to ever grace the world of deathcore, but it’s with their tremendous talent and high sense of musicianship that they’ve become one of the bands to know of in the modern days of the genre, and it’s with “The Valley” that such a thought is all but cemented. In every single possible form, Whitechapel has created an album that’s sure to be one of the pinnacles of the genre come the close of 2019, and I’ll be shocked if I don’t see throngs of people shouting the same.

“The Valley” releases on March 29th via Metal Blade Records!

PRE-ORDER “The Valley” via Metal Blade here.

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FOLLOW Whitechapel on Twitter: @WhitechapelBand