Whitechapel – Hymns In Dissonance (Review)

Whitechapel return with their heaviest album to date. A statement that let long-time fans rejoice but left fans of their two latest offerings worried, if the band was taking a step back from the progressive songwriting chops presented on The Valley and Kin. Those two records managed to win over a whole new audience of the deathcore OG’s, as they offered a much more melodic and alternative metal influenced approach to the usual beating.

Originally helping to pioneer and commercialize a whole new genre with their early genre standouts such as This Is Exile and A New Era Of Corruption, the bands sound began to feel stale during the 2010s. But thankfully, they managed to regain traction with the aforementioned one-two punch of records. And rightfully so. Now, with their ninth record Hymns In Dissonance, the band decided that it was time to ditch the melodic tendencies and completely focus on absolute brutality. But is this just a rehash of old glory or did the band manage to keep up the strong songwriting chops presented on The Valley and Kin?

Starting of the record, which tells the story of a cultist searching for wiling disciples, with “Prisoner 666” directly sets a really high bar in terms of aggression while also demonstrating that, despite all the fabulous gurgles and squeaks of GOAT-vocalist Phil Bozeman and the devastating riffs of Alex Wade and Ben Savage, the band still knows who to write a cohesive song with these ingredients. Opening with a nasty, bouncing riff and rapid fire vocals by Phil, the song still shows that it is still possible to keep songs with this level of brutality catchy and engaging. The chorus hits with its effective lead parts and the ending breakdown is simply disgusting and headbang inducing.

Pre-released singles “A Visceral Retch” and the title track further cement the return to the bands roots as they both manage to even outclass the records punishing opener in terms of aggression and brutality. But compared to Whitechapels humble beginnings, each song features cleverly integrated rhythm or key changes, subtle leads or scream alongs, which keep the listener engaged during the whole runtime of roughly 43 minutes. May it be the epic lead and solo section of the phenomenal closer “Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us” or the shout along worthy chorus of the stomping “Hate Cult Ritual“, it is clear that throughout the years the sextets creativity and songwriting skills grew immensely.

Individually, Phil Bozeman once again proves why he is an absolute vocal legend. His range is unmatched and the intensity, enunciation and speed with which he belts out his shrieks, barks and gutturals is a class above all the imitators he once inspired. New drummer Brandon Zackey also does a remarkable job at keeping the technically proficient riffs entertaining and hard-hitting, may it be during lightning fast blast sections (“Diabolic Slumber“) or the more groove-oriented tracks such as “Bedlam” or “Mammoth God“. Additionally, the records structure leaves no room for real duds and offers a constantly high quality.

The only thing which could lead to a higher fatigure rate while listening to this record, is the very brick-walled production that is almost clipping, especially in the drum spectrum. Furthermore, you should not expect any significant changes in tone or any melody focused songs. On Hymns in Dissonance, brutality is king. And it is delivered with such an intensity that some listeners might be overwhelmed. However, repeated listens will reward thos who dare to fully embrace the record as the songs will reveal more and more layers with each focused spin. Just check the subtle melancholy in grind-influenced “The Abysmal Gospel” for instance.

A return to roots record is a tricky task. Most of the time the end-product falls short of re-capturing the magic of old time achievements. Especially in the more extreme sectors of metal. Whitechapel managed to avoid this trap by integrating subtle tweaks and turns in every bludgeoning track presented on their ninth record Hymns in Dissonance. But be warned, this is not for the faint-hearted. To those who cherish aggression and brutality with clever and dynamic songwriting: look no further and immediately sing these dissonant hymns, daddy’s home.