REVIEW: Whitechapel - Whitechapel [2012]

Artist: Whitechapel
Album: Whitechapel
Buy: Online Store

Tracklist
1. Make it Bleed
2. Hate Creation
3. (Cult)uralist
4. I, Dementia
5. Section 8
6. Faces
7. Dead Silence
8. The Night Remains
9. Devoid
10. Possibilities of an Impossible Existence



This is the fourth much anticipated full length release of this death metal/deathcore band.
As a big fan since the old days when 'The Somatic Defilement' first came out, i'm always hoping Whitechapel will be one of those bands that never fuck up, always progressing but never to the point it gets ridiculously stupid.
To this point they changed their sound with every new album (mainly with its predecessor 'A New Era of Corruption') and for me it always takes a few listens to apreciate the new style to its fullest.
This new self titled album is no exception, when i heard it for the first time i found the album lacking, short and uninspired with only 2 or 3 jewels that stood out, notice how i'm talking in the past sense here (epic bands always lead to epic expectations).
It was after a few more listens that i started to notice the sheer angry and dark themed vocals and atmospheric instrumentals more, and started to like it, very much!
The song structures on this record are a bit slower, heavier paced then previous ones and you really need to take the time and let it sink in.
helping with this process are the vocals, which are (as they always have been) unreletenting and some of the most brutal i have ever heard, you can definitely notice Phil puts his heart and soul into all the songs on this album.
Another thing that really fits in well with the heavy sound are the occasional guitar solos, in my opinion modern metal bands need to use these more!
You can tell the band tries hard to set itself apart from the millions of mediocre deathcore bands floating around (many of which are inspired by Whitechapel's earlier albums).


Favorite Tracks

Make it Bleed:
The album starts out strong with a peacefull piano intro transcending into a brutal fast paced riff and shit hits the fan fast.
After a while the song starts to slow down again and the creepy melodic guitars that set the tone for the rest of the album are introduced.
a powerfull first song most people will fall in love with on the first listen.

Hate Creation:
The first single they released and most people know already, you either love or hate it, and i actualy liked this one when i first heard it.
Somewhere halfway through the song you can hear Phil using the angry-normal-voice-talking thing that reminded me of Slipknot, but he pulls it off quite well in my opinion, some screams sound so fucking raw on this track, i love it!
This is one of the angriest songs on the album and i like it angry! It was also nice to see a different vocal style for a change, and for the haters: would you rather have cleans? ....thats what i thought! :P

(Cult)uralist:
Not much to say about this track, its one of the faster ones on the album, especially the drumming and the vocals are FAST at certain points, it all breaks down into a sweet solo near the end, nuff said.

Faces:
The song with the most brutal lyrics on the album, i wont spoil anything but lets just say some lines put a big smile on my face!

Dead Silence:
Most likely my favorite song on the album, though its still hard to choose at this point, it has everything this album stands for: melody, angry vocals/lyrics and a very good song structure, youll be sure to bang your head a few times to this song.
With some spine crushing spikes throughout the song, it all ends with a lovely eerie sounding outro that makes me feel all tingly inside, a good outro for a good song.

The Night Remains:
With the dark atmospheric outro behind us, this track fires off and REALLY gets the blood pumping, excellent riffage, underlying melodic guitars and some very well timed vocals to go along with it make this one of the best tracks on the whole album.
My only problem with it is that its kinda short, towards the end there is this epic build up...but sadly doesnt lead to anything and the song just ends... such a waste.

Possibilities of an Impossible Existence:
Fan boys know the drill: the last song on a Whitechapel album is always an epic one, this is also the case here.
Preceded by a instrumental song, the song starts off with an epic melodic and bouncy sound, you KNOW the album is coming to the end just by listening to this.
Its like they are trying to cram all the instrumentals, atmosphere, brutal riffage and vocals into one package before finishing with a outro that sounds similar to the piano intro of the first song, which encourages you to give the entire album another spin.


Final Verdict:

Though for some it may not seem like much at the first listen, specialy for old school fans who like deathcore and nothing else, this album is WAY more than you think it is.
With this new release Whitechapel progressed yet again to their own stylish sound while maintaining the angry brutal vibe people love them for, they tried to please everyone here, and succeeded.
If you heard the two singles they released and didnt like them, dont dismiss this album, chances are you will LOVE it as a whole (if you REALLY dont like it there are a million other mediocre deathcore bands out there for you instead and you just wasted your time reading all this!).
This album has some of the best songs since 'This is Exile' and i can only hope this band will keep impressing me with their genre defining sound in the future.

Rating: 4.5/5

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Artist: Make them Suffer
Album: Neverbloom
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Rating: 4.5/5

Horns sounded. Bells clang. I could practically feel the quivering violin strings as if I was playing it myself. The crescendo pouring through my headphones was nearly as tangible as my excitement. Then, a pause. Clenching my fists and biting my lip, my heart skipped a beat. Then, the inhale, and the sweet, sweet release. Pounding drums, heavy, fast guitar, haunting keys and piercing screams burst through my ear drums. The wait was over–Make Them Suffer’s Neverbloom was upon me.

The first time I heard a band referred to as “symphonic deathcore,” I was a little puzzled at the term. What elements would differentiate deathcore in a manner distinct enough to make it “symphonic?” How would it be any different than deathcore with the occasional synth-lead breakdown or chilling violin sample? Australian outfit Make Them Suffer clarified my confusion with expertise. Make Them Suffer consistently include chilling keys and stunning, climactic violin samples along with atmospheric chimes and dynamic, heavy–yet progressive and constructive–song structure differentiates Neverbloom from the “standard” deathcore release. Each song–even the shorter ones–build up from an attention-grabbing introduction to a stunning climax using a variety of elements as if they were building blocks to construct a dynamic and diverse sound. Singles “Neverbloom” and “Maelstrom” are stellar examples of this. At first glance, a deathcore track clocking in at nearly seven minutes looks overbearing with a chance of severe monotony. However, beginning with a bone-chilling piano lead and an effect-laden drum line, the song sounds almost like the soundtrack to a nightmare. By the end of the track, the listener has been dragged through spine-smashing slams and bone-busting breakdowns, each building up to a crescendo of symphonic elements and heaviness which makes the build-up even more worth listening to.

It isn’t just the dynamism in each track (long or short) which makes Neverbloom an intriguing listen. The diverse vocal ranges used in each track stem the potential onslaught of monotony (something easily attainable in a modern-day deathcore release). These colorful vocals, with passionate (if not occasionally over-simplified) lyrics are painted over a canvas of instrumentation which is rich with talent. While the guitars or bass never truly show off with shreddy, dominating leads, they use odd timing and bizarrely intricate riffs to play off of one another without sounding mundane or chuggy. Placed along side blistering blast beats and fill-laden drumming, the instruments combine with the vocals to accompany Make Them Suffer’s strongest element, and the facet of Neverbloom which truly steals the show: the keys. Using a variety of tones and samples, if it weren’t for the keys, many of Neverbloom’s finest moments would just be filler in an above-average deathcore release. Whether it’s the atmospheric mood setting up “Neverbloom,” or the chilling additions they make to “Widower,” the keys are a constant driving force in the powerhouse that is Neverbloom.

What’s the issue with Make Them Suffer’s full-length, you might ask? Well, the issue is just that; it’s length. While it is a completely enjoyable album to listen through, it is a little long. While at no particular point is it overbearing, the number of tracks–especially the number of tracks clocking in at over five minutes–is a lot to trek through for a deathcore album. Make no mistake, Neverbloom is captivating, but especially after repeated listens, its magic wears off before the album has played out in its entirety.

So, you’re looking for some different deathcore? Or maybe you’re like me, and just trying to figure out what the hell is going on with symphonic deathcore? Either way, look no further than Make Them Suffer’s Neverbloom. Filled to the brim with amazing, haunting, heavy and memorable moments from beginning to end, it’s sure to fill your quota for intelligently brutal music–even if getting to the end feels like more of a chore than it should.

Connor Welsh/Eccentricism

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Shall be the Conqueror - Chillicothe Burning [EP] - Review

Artist: Shall be the Conqueror

Album: Chillicothe Burning - EP

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Rating: 4.5/5

          There are all sorts of wacky genre-mashups happening these days. It seems throwing in a jazz fill (a la War From a Harlot’s Mouth) or a piano line straight out a 50’s swing record (a la Arsonists Get All the Girls) isn’t just not enough to placate fans of progressive -core, but has become the standard. How else–other than mish-mashing nonsense genres–do we expect hardcore and its offshoots to keep us listeners entertained? Shall be the Conqueror have the answer with their new EP Chillicothe Burning, which uses a careful blending of various influences from a plethora of genres rather than randomly mixing mismatched styles to create a unique sound.

          Shall be the Conqueror don’t just rely on brutalizing breakdowns or shred-saturated guitar lines to attract fans. The Ohio-based progressive deathcore outfit expertly match complimentary sounds and structures to create deep and intricate tracks which take the listener on intrepid journeys. Journeys like the epic “Needles Kane,” which starts and ends with a delicate and melodic riff, separated by a sludgy, down-tempo hardcore section with perfectly matched rasping harsh vocals and despondent lyrics. Another example of the quests which comprise Chillicothe Burning is “So Far the Horizon” which starts with a thrashy, straightforward riff, but morphs into an immensely technical monster which uses sweeping guitar lines, pounding drums and heavy slams to expertly straddle death metal and deathcore. In fact, some of the beauty of the EP isn’t found in just the musical composition itself, but how each section of each track is carefully planned and crafted using influences from genres which compliment each other perfectly. Rather than rough jumps and ass-backward tumbles into different portions of each track, the songs flow smoothly and function in ideal unison with one another.

          Yes, Chillicothe Burning does have some absolutely stand-out moments. But rather than a brief release highlighted by one or two nifty riffs or skull-crushing breakdowns, Shall be the Conqueror crafted a comprehensive and fluid EP which feels infinitely more immersive than its brief twenty-minute run time. It isn’t just the lightning-quick, technical tapping, nor is it the grinding vocals or thunderous drums which steal the show. Rather, it’s the refreshing ability for a band to have released such a masterfully comprehensive and immense album as original as it is unexpected.

By Connor Welsh/Eccentricism

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Review: Crown The Empire - Limitless

Artist: Crown The Empire
Album: Limitless EP
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Rating: 5/5

Tracklist:

1. Walls (The Glass Elevator)

2. Breaking Point

3. Wake Me Up

4. Voices

5. Johnny Ringo

6. Limitless (ft. Denis Shaforostov of Make Me Famous)

7. Lead Me Out of the Dark

First of all, let me take the time to apologize for the long period of time I've been inactive on this site. I have been very busy and have had VERY little time to do anything else. But let me assure you that I am still reviewing and I still intend to do reviews, just not as often. Without further ado, here's my first for 2012. Hope you guys enjoy it! Really stoked on this one!

First of all, let me congratulate these guys on their recent signing to Rise Records! They are truly deserving of it! Crown The Empire from Dallas, TX have been making a name for themselves slowly but surely ever since they released their first demo "Breaking Point". In a world where artists have very little control and labels are like tyrants, they broke free and were quite successful with the release of their first EP. This band has unique vocals, powerful screams, moving melodies, and catchy dance-along choruses, what more could you want from an electronic/post-hardcore album right? If that's not enough, they added a little acoustic track at the end just to bring it all to an amazing close. I've been talking to these guys since I started reviewing and let me tell you, they are some of the nicest guys I've ever talked to. They were SO pumped to release "Limitless" and I am equally pumped to review this monumental EP. So sit back, relax, and read on.

Key Tracks:

Johnny Ringo: This track has quite possibly the weirdest intro I've heard in awhile but as the song progresses, it's actually quite powerful. It sealed itself in as my favorite track on the EP as soon as I first heard it! The intro sounds like something you might hear at the circus, but the song itself is amazing. The lyrics are about taking control of your life, claiming what is rightfully yours, and basically giving the finger to anyone who doesn't like it. (But I'm sure there are other interpretations, that's what it means to me.)

Limitless: When I heard the guest vocalist on this track was going to be Denis, I freaked. Denis is quite the vocalist, a little too cocky but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Putting Crown The Empire and Denis together though? Pure fucking magic! This song is about never settling for anything less than what you deserve. The title says it all. We are limitless! Nothing can hold us back if we truly want something.

Lead Me Out of the Dark: The dark acoustic closing to the album. What can I say about this track except that it's beautiful, heartfelt, amazing, and eerie all in one! Andrew's voice is INCREDIBLE. I don't think this album would be the same without this track.

Final Thoughts:

Well, it's WAAAAY overdue, but I finally got it done. This is quite possibly the best EP to hit my ears in awhile! These guys are gonna go really far! Look for them in a town near you when they start their tour in a few weeks! I'm sure we can expect a full-length from them by the end of the year, too! Don't take my word for how amazing this album is. Go pick it up for yourself! Either on iTunes, on their BigCartel or even better, meet the guys yourself and pick up a copy directly from them at a show!

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REVIEW: Doomsday Mourning - Culture Of Corruption

Band: Doomsday Mourning
Album: Culture of Corruption
Buy: Itunes
Rating: 4/5















Tracklist

1. Zero Minutes (feat. Kevin from Line of Scrimmage)
2. Player Haters Ball (feat. Rick from This or the Apocalypse)
3. Culture of Corruption (feat. TJ from Knuckle Up!)
4. Legends Are Made Not Broken
5. Oneone3sevenoh (feat. Eric from The Confrontation)


Fans of their old EP ''The Science of Exploitation'' can stop reading here and buy this album right now!
For the people that never heard of Doomsday Mourning, they are a five man band coming from New York with a simple yet unique sound, with just one thought in mind: making angry fucking music!
And they succeeded with that for the second time with this new EP, much like the first release the whole album has a constant heavy flow with a grimey meshuggah/beatdown influenced sound combined with some of the most hatefull lyrics ever heard.
And when i say hatefull i do mean hatefull.
The reason for this is the lyrical content, its not about aliens, universes, spaceships, dimensions or all that crap you might be used to, its not about the wrath of god or an impending apocalypse either, the lyrics are about real life situations that everyone can relate to, and thats exacly the reason why i feel the need to strangle someone to death everytime i hear this music.

The EP starts strong with the track ''zero minutes'' which uses the word ''fuck'' more than the pope molests little children, which is a good thing because by now you know your in for a wild ride (and you might end up with some bruises).
This agression is kept throughout the whole EP.

Another interesting concept they brought back in this second release are the many guest vocalists, which is something i personally didnt think they could manage to bring back, but im glad they did! we're talking almost every track here! its not something you see alot with other bands in this genre, atleast not this many on one album (it reminds me more of rap albums).
I can only hope they will keep doing it for future releases because it makes for an interesting music style.

In short: Doomsday Mourning is a band who knows what their fans want: no-bullshit music, no over complicated technical metal, no expensive overproduced albums, just grimey in your face angry music that will get you fucking pumped.
Dont dismiss this as another mediocre album, give it an honest chance and go listen to this shit!

Also make sure to keep an eye out for their full length album ''Predisposed'' coming later this year.

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END YEAR REVIEW: Personal Best Albums Of 2011

Here are my best albums of 2011, with all the great releases it was hard to narrow it down to just 10 albums so i picked the ones that i remembered the most.


10. Bury Your Dead - Mosh N Roll

It's safe to say this band totally redeemed itself with the return of vocalist Mat Bruso and a return to their old style, which is what most fans really wanted i think.
In my personal opinion that nu metal shit from ''It's Nothing Personal'' ruined this band, like so many other bands got ruined because of member changes or ''evolving'' their music style, Im just happy BYD isnt one of those bands anymore.
It's not perfect, but this album is still worth checking out, it has a good hardcore sound and plenty of ''FUCKS'' in the lyrics to satisfy your angry music needs.


9. Confession - The Long Way Home

An album that turned out to be a suprisingly good release.
While i do consider their previous album ''cancer'' a VERY enjoyable album i didnt think they could pull it off a second time,
specialy after hearing the ''Break Stuff'' cover which was just painfully bad and boring, but thankfully they went with their own unique style again on this release.
Even though it has weird pop punk cleans which are kinda terrible and a bit to frequent in most of the songs, i can somewhat tolerate it because the previous album had the same singing.
But along with some other experimental shit, the lovely hardcore vocals and bouncy riffs still dominate and makes the album catchy as fuck, it provides a overall nice flow that keeps me coming back.


8. Suffokate - Return to Despair

This probably wouldve been higher on the list if they kept their style from ''No Mercy No Forgiveness''
Which is one of my all-time favorite albums because of the agressive hardcore / groovy sound i immediately fell in love with.
This new release however, needed some time to grow on me. While it still has those groovy parts in SOME songs,
the majority of the music is more melodic / death metal oriented now, and that doesnt really make the songs stand out from one another.
with that being said its not a bad or terrible album by any means, but i guess my expectations were just a little different.
But to name some more positive things of this release: it doesnt have cleans (LOL), i like the production alot and the highs really improved aswell.
Also im impressed they released this album fairly quick compared to the HUGE gap between the last two albums (FU mediaskare XD).
If you didnt check this album out yet, give it an honest chance, its a good album deserving attention, just dont expect anything mindblowing.


7. My Autumn - Oblivion Era

This album made me wish i could understand russian, being one of the more known russian deathcore bands, they have yet to dissapoint me.
Like Confession they dont really bring anything new to the table with this new release but i just cant say no to music with a good flow in it, and that makes for good replay value!
The only thing i dont get about this album is the cleans, its only a MINOR annoyance since they can only be briefly heard in two of the songs (which makes you wonder why they were put in there at all, kinda pointless really)
Dont let that stop you from enjoying it tho, if your like me and want some good no-nonsense deathcore this album will be one of your favs of 2011 for sure!


6. Catalepsy - Bleed

This album is all about production and agressiveness, some say the production quality of this album is not that good,
but while it was intentional or not, that is exacly the reason it sets itself apart from the other dime a dozen hardcore / metal (or ''emmure'') bands.
I admit the album needed to grow on me because i was expecting something a little more deathcore styled, like their last album 'iniquity'.
But that doesnt mean its any less agressive (far from it) , though sadly you wont hear as much anti christian lyrics ,
the songs are still about fucking shit up and it helps set the mood to punch babies in the face nicely.


5. Depths - Resurgence

Out of the two (or three w/e) metal bands called Depths, this death metal one is by far the best!
With its crushing vocals, atmosphere and the occasional epic guitar sweep, this is the best thing to come out of New Zealand since...FOREVER!
A great thing about this little gem are the lyrics, they are more than just your average angry death metal lyrics you might expect at first,if you look closer youll see it goes a bit deeper than that.
With topics like a man struggling to keep his sanity, to the end of humanity itself, the lyrics set a great undertone to this bone splitting production that turned out better than i ever expected.


4. Apparitions - The Human Collapse

With all the wonderfull deathcore that has been given us this year, this is one of the better (and unexpected late year) releases.
There are two mistakes you can make with this album, the first one being you ignored it because its ''just another generic deathcore band'' and the second is never hearing of it!
With a solid metalcore/deathcore sound with some occasional technical influences, its a well crafted masterpiece from start to finish (which ends with a VERY nice Deftones cover btw)
Fans of Boris The Blade (they released a solid EP aswell go listen to it!) should definitely check this one out, since their sound seems to be a great influence.
Theres not much more i can say about this, just go listen to it and enjoy the cum flowing from your ears!


3. Breakdown Of Sanity - Mirrors

After hearing their last album 'The Last Sunset' i figured this band would never improve much.
Well it seems they did improve, ALOT on their new album 'Mirrors'.
In fact they improved EVERYTHING from the last release.
Not much more things can be said, the whole album is just a masterpiece from beginning to end.
Though it has some clean singing and melodic riffs (elements that are spammed alot with new bands and releases lately),
its never to the point where it gets boring or feels overused.The song structure is just right and sounds amazing!
So if you didnt hear this underated piece of sexyness yet and your into metal at all i highly recommend it!


2. Fit For An Autopsy - The process of Human Extermination

In a year where clean vocals and cheap melodic riffs seem to be the main selling point of many bands (*cough* FTFD *cough*),
This band stays down to earth and delivers one of the most crushing deathcore albums of the year!
The whole album from beginning to end is a relentless rollercoaster ride that stays fresh and intense with every song,
dont listen to it with pants on because you WILL soil them, some critics nag about it being 'dated' and filled with 'lame' breakdowns.
I say FUCK THEM! This is a perfect example of what metal is all about, agressive and soul sucking vocals, orgasmic lyrics , harsh breakdowns and brutal riffs, and thats all i expect from a metal band, simple as that.
If you havent heard this album, go check it out now by any means necessary!
You will not be dissapointed!


1.(AOTY!) Molotov Solution - Insurrection

To keep it short: this is a MINDBLOWING FUCKFEST OF AWESOMENESS TIMES INFINITY!
In my opinion THIS is how deathcore in 2011 should sound!
I havent jammed a cd in the car so many times since This Is Exile got released, and thats really saying something!
It has everything: agressive vocals, good lyrical content, epic breakdowns, sick riffage and most importantly diversity!
Even after hearing it so many times already, i still find myself mindlessly headbanging to all the songs, you cant hear all of the greatness in just one go.
I have nothing but praise for this band, having made two previous albums which i both consider masterpieces they've really outdone themselves this time around.
You can really tell alot of devotion and hard work went into this, and imo it paid off!
This album is living proof that deathcore is indeed still sexy and far from dead! \m/ >_< \m/


If you somehow found the time to read all of this and dont agree, here is some music more suitable to your tastes :)

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REVIEW: Keeping Secrets - The Last Transmission

Band: Keeping Secrets

Album: The Last Transmission

Rating:

Buy: iTunes
BigCartel

Tracklisting:

1. Mayday! Mayday!

2. Chris West

3. Hollywood

4. The Last Transmission

5. Crisis of Faith

6. Number 6

If you haven't heard of Keeping Secrets and you are a fan of the electronic/post-hardcore genres, you're really missing out! From first listen this band has captivated audiences like no band in the Seattle area in quite awhile (myself included). When my friend, Willie, showed me their music over 2 years ago, I was immediately captured and drawn in. Their debut album The Rescue which was released on August 4th, 2009 on Victory Records was a breath of fresh air to a scene that seemed to be dying. These guys put everything they have into their music and so much more. They love what they do and they do a wonderful job of keeping their fans happy! Their new EP The Last Transmission, released on November 26th, 2011, is no exception to this. With a new sound, new image, and having more accomplished this time around, they come out swinging and leave no stone unturned and seem to be gaining an even LARGER fan base! Without further ado, here is my review of The Last Transmission, hope you guys enjoy!

Key Tracks:

Chris West: This song was written as a memorial to a dear fallen friend. You can feel the emotion in every word and lick of this track. This track captured my attention after hearing the chorus "You are the warm sun on our shoulders. You've touched our lives, you'll live forever" I didn't know him but you can tell he meant alot to the band. Listen carefully when taking in this track.

The Last Transmission: This was the first single chosen for the EP and rightly so. From the beginning, you're pulled in and taken over by the catchy nature of the track. Not the best track on the EP but definitely far from the worst. Don't get me wrong, there's not a track on this EP that is bad. This just happens to be one of the ones that was a little less hard-hitting than the others.

Final Thoughts:

For an EP, which I normally don't take a chance to listen to, let alone download or buy, it really blew me away. These guys have never disappointed. From the first listen of The Rescue, to the maiden voyage that was the first listen of The Last Transmission, these guys are nothing short of spectacular. Don't just take my word for it though, as always, GO SUPPORT THE ARTIST! Pick up your copy of The Last Transmission on iTunes or go to BigCartel for a hard copy!

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