There’s something both terrifying and thrilling about a band rediscovering its original fire. After nearly two decades in the metal scene, Tennessee’s Whitechapel appeared to be on an inevitable trajectory toward accessibility—their recent albums exploring clean vocals, melodic elements, and more restrained compositions. With 2021’s “Kin,” many longtime fans had made peace with the notion that the savage deathcore that first put them on the map might remain firmly in the rearview mirror.
Then came “Hymns in Dissonance.”
From the moment “Prisoner 666” erupts from its ominous intro into a punishing triple-guitar attack, it’s evident this is not the same Whitechapel that delivered the more contemplative, radio-friendly moments of their previous two releases. This is a band that has decided to burn the rulebook they’ve been following for the better part of a decade, opting instead for a scorched-earth policy that yields their most aggressive material since their formative years.
The album title serves as both description and mission statement. These are indeed hymns—carefully structured sonic rituals—but delivered through a prism of dissonance so severe it borders on sensory assault. The narrative throughline, as explained by guitarist Alex Wade, follows “a cultist who is gathering worthy people to join his cult,” with each track from the third onward representing one of the seven deadly sins. It’s a conceptual framework that allows vocalist Phil Bozeman to step away from the deeply personal trauma explored on previous records and indulge in the kind of grotesque, theatrical extremity that marked the band’s earlier work.
This newfound creative freedom has produced some genuinely frightening moments. “A Visceral Wretch” lives up to its name, offering a mid-section reminiscent of Suffocation at their most technical and punishing. “Diabolic Slumber” shifts between blast-beat driven fury and crushing, atmospheric breakdowns with remarkable fluidity. The title track features what might be the most devastatingly heavy breakdown of the year, announced with a guttural “WE ARE THE DISEASE!” that serves as perfect shorthand for the album’s uncompromising ethos.
What makes “Hymns in Dissonance” work beyond mere brutality is the band’s strategic deployment of these moments. Whitechapel display remarkable restraint in their excess, understanding precisely when to unleash their most primitive assaults for maximum impact. “Hate Cult Ritual” largely emphasizes technical proficiency until its final moments, making its concluding groove all the more satisfying when it finally arrives. Similarly, “The Abysmal Gospel” pummels relentlessly before revealing unexpected melodic undercurrents that provide crucial textural variety.
Bozeman’s vocal performance deserves special mention. After years of showcasing his impressive clean singing abilities, he returns exclusively to the screams and growls that first made him a standout in the genre. His technique has only improved with time, displaying remarkable control and range throughout. When he unleashes his trademark low register on tracks like “Bedlam,” the effect is genuinely unsettling—a reminder of why he’s considered among the elite vocalists in extreme metal.
The production deserves substantial credit for the album’s overwhelming presence. Everything sounds immense, from Brandon Zackey’s cannon-like kick drums to the three-guitar assault of Savage, Householder and Wade. The mix strikes an ideal balance between clarity and chaos, allowing technical flourishes to register while maintaining the raw, primal energy that defines the record.
Not everything here connects with equal force. There’s a noticeable lull around the record’s two-thirds mark—”Bedlam” feels somewhat one-dimensional compared to the dynamic variance found elsewhere, while “Mammoth God” perhaps relies too heavily on its melodic refrain. These are minor stumbles, however, are quickly rectified.
What’s most remarkable about the record is how it manages to feel simultaneously like a return to form and a step forward. Rather than simply recreating their early sound, Whitechapel has reinterpreted it through the lens of their accumulated experience and technical growth. The result feels like an alternate timeline where the band continued to refine their deathcore foundation rather than venturing into more commercial territory.
For recent converts drawn in by the melodic aspects of “The Valley” and “Kin,” this abrupt pivot might prove jarring. There are no clean vocals to be found, no radio-friendly choruses, no moments of respite from the unrelenting heaviness. This is Whitechapel at their most uncompromising, seemingly unconcerned with commercial considerations.
Yet for those who’ve followed the band since their inception—or even those drawn to extreme music generally—”Hymns in Dissonance” arrives as an unexpected gift. It’s a reminder that beneath the progressively more polished exterior of recent years, there still beats the heart of a band capable of creating music of genuine menace and power. After years of carefully expanding their sonic palette, Whitechapel have returned to a more monochromatic approach, but have painted with such violence and conviction that the results are impossible to ignore.
The album closes with perhaps its most impressive moment, as “Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us” transitions from relentless aggression to an unexpectedly beautiful melodic passage. It’s a rare moment of light in an otherwise overwhelmingly dark record, suggesting that even as Whitechapel embrace their most extreme impulses, they’ve lost none of the musical maturity gained over their years of experimentation.
“Hymns in Dissonance” won’t convert those fundamentally opposed to extreme metal’s excesses. But for those with an appreciation for the artfully brutal, it stands as both a victory lap for a band nearly two decades into their career and a clear statement that Whitechapel still has plenty to offer beyond the more commercially palatable direction of recent years. Sometimes, it seems, you need to look backward to move forward.
Catch Whitechapel live in Montreal on 24 March @ L’Olympia – TICKETS HERE
