It’s almost impossible, once you’ve started listening, not to plow through the record.  The menacing attack that inevitably hits in each track finds itself smoothly interrupted by melodic guitar breaks from time to time, an approach not often taken by Whitechapel in previous recordings. While still holding true to the sounds that got them to this point, the addition of these melodies to their otherwise brutal sound emancipates Whitechapel from the strictly deathcore genre in which they’ve thrived, proving that all three guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade and Zach Householder and bassist Gabe Crisp are now not merely chug-masters, but are truly honing their artistry as musicians. The melodies serve their purpose, beautifully interspersed, giving a little relief and then providing the path towards a deeper plunge into the merciless pummeling: Whitechapel dole out the punishments all over this record. Kevin Lane absolutely annihilates his drums, which actually take the beating in stride… I need to ask him how big his toms are. They sound deep, dark and huge. I can hear a little Randy creeping into Phil’s voice, but perhaps that’s just the Richmond air I’m smellin these days… he still has his thick gutterals going full blast.

“Devolver” is brilliant.  ”Breeding Violence” makes me wanna bounce up and down, making that track the one I’m most excited to see Whitechapel play live this summer, especially with Phil’s intoxicating vocal cadence. I always love an Acacia Strain riff, which is apparently green-lit since Vincent shows up on “Murder Sermon.”  ”The Darkest Day of Man” – “it’s only getting worse” – has a fabulous d-tune on the downswing, and the guest vox on “Reprogrammed To Hate” woke me right up (not that I was asleep, mind you) – most certainly the gnarliest vox Deftones‘ Chino Moreno has put down in recent years.  In “End of Flesh,” I’m pulled by the lolling guitars, antagonized by Kevin’s rolling double kicks and enticed by Phil’s vocal vomiting.

Whitechapel have certainly created something of which to really be proud. “A New Era Of Corruption” drops today from Metal Blade Records, go buy that shit.  They’re currently doing the European festival circuit (with As I Lay Dying) and will back in the states for the Warped Tour in July.  Can’t. Wait.

myspace.com/whitechapel

aneweraofcorruption.com

The sweet, dying sigh of the guitar line in “Ingest The Ash” is refreshing, while I don’t understand the use of Vari-Fi in the middle (aren’t we done with that plug-in yet?) I adore the screaming that tears out of it. “Embarrassment Legacy” is really smooth (the beginning tones somehow remind me of “11th Hour-”ish Lamb Of God.) That track is topped off by a very precisely played blast section towards the end, mostly due to the punishing assault of drums – this may be Brad Fickeisen’s best recorded-performance to date.

I like that their tracks average a little over 2 minutes, that they’re in and out, point made, no need to rehash… other than the repeated lyrical lines which have their individual impact on your soul… some of them angst-fueling.

“While I was counting hours, you were counting fists.”

“My life’s work, forgotten.”

The longest musical journey on the album is the final track, “Sleepless Nights In The Compound.” Feel free to get lost in it and let it drag you around. Once you finish, you could just kick it back to the second track “Hour of Rats” and unleash.

The new effort from The Red Chord, out on Metal Blade Records now, will sit strongly in their own album repertoire and is better than their oft-coupled tourmates’ “Deflorate.” If I had my way, I’d say next time Black Dahlia Murder and The Red Chord go out together, The Red Chord headlines.