This Is Exile

Can an explosion be moderated? Can spontaneous combustion be contained or controlled? If “This is Exile” is anything to go by, adding accuracy and composure to flaming rage has incredible consequences, for this is a manic tour de force the likes of which I have never experienced from Whitechapel’s piss-weak peers in the generic genre of deathcore.

Generally, deathcore is a metal-by-numbers kind of genre, an easy transition into heavy music for scene kids who are tiring of their Trivium albums. Bands like Belay my Last and Carnifex all have the same formulaic approach to creating pseudo-death metal sounds with adolescent aggressive lyrics, chunky percussive guitar riffs and drums loaded with double-bass. Whitechapel, however, have just turned it all on its head.

Don’t mistake this for an album that is genre-defying, though. It is still undoubtedly deathcore, with all the aforementioned shortcomings. I don’t know when the bands, and more importantly, the fans, will tire of the chug-chug palm-muted guitars and drop-tuned riffs that define this genre. But Whitechapel does it all with a twist, there’s a sense of real urgency and sincere anger on this album. Some of the songs feature very interesting structures and ideas, something that is clearly amiss with the thousands of other deathcore bands out there. Songs like “Possession” and “To All That Are Dead” even feature some melodic guitar-work and very progressive interludes. This album also did away with the obligatory one-minute album intro consisting of distorted synths and/or horror movie sample/serial killer interview that every deathcore band seems to have(including Whitechapel themselves on their debut album). So “This is Exile” isn’t genre-defying, but quite possibly genre-defining instead.

Right from the first few seconds on the opener “Father of Lies” the brutality rears its metal head and it doesn’t let up until the end. This album incorporates all the best elements from its genre, sometimes even leaving the cursed “-core” suffix away altogether, using excellent songwriting and irresistible rhythms to generate bursts of compulsive fury from start to finish. Utilizing even doom riffs and time signatures at times, the atmosphere on “This is Exile” is very heavy. Every song puts the listener on a precipice, expecting Whitechapel to drop you mercilessly into aural assault, head-first, which they do. Again and again. Every song is memorable and addictively aggressive, but not in a mindless Cannibal Corpse way. The clever songwriting will ensure repeated listens even after you have grown numb to the brutality.

As with most deathcore songs, the songs here have “hooks”, those memorable, somewhat anthemic sections that get stuck in your head. This is part of deathcore’s appeal, undoubtedly what attracts millions of teenagers to the genre. So maybe the lyrics aren’t too original, and deathcore isn’t ideally anyone’s favorite genre, but this album is irresistible! The breakdown on the title track, amongst many others, is monstrously heavy and impulsive headbanging cannot be helped. Narrow-minded pretension will prevent many from enjoying Whitechapel, but honestly, if you refuse to hear an album based on the fact that it is deathcore and that the songs have breakdowns, you are no better than the black metal elitists.

The vocals are infinitely better than any other deathcore band, even the higher-pitched vocals, usually a scathing irritation in deathcore, are bearable and at times enjoyable. The growls, however, are the truly excellent part here, being guttural and deep, true death metal with better range than even real death metal bands like Nile or Cannibal Corpse can muster. The deep vocals sound awesome, with immense power and aggression throughout the album. The three guitarists create a very interesting sound, enhancing the rhythm guitar sections, making it all sound enormous. There is hardly any need for bass with the amount of brutality the two rhythm guitars convey! The drums are pummeling and perfectly tuned, with double-bass and blast beats being particularly impressive.

Unfortunately, certain deathcore weaknesses occasionally stain through the immense tapestry of sound. There are riffs, like near the end of “Somatically Incorrect”, that are downright irritating. Also, the instrumental “Death Becomes Him” is not very strong, rather redundant. But the utter worst element of deathcore, bad enough to almost cause me to disregard the entire genre, is hardcore shouty vocals! The group shouting is nauseating, it is an infectious disease that ruins songs and sometimes entire albums. Thankfully, Whitechapel managed to rein in their desire to use this effect, and they let it out only once, on the 7-minute closing track “Messiahbolical”, and even there it almost ruined an excellent track. There will undoubtedly be sections of this album that will get on your nerves, as all deathcore does, but I urge you to look beyond this and see Whitechapel’s colossal achievement here. Every song is enjoyable and the innovation is unremitting. Whitechapel is by far the most talented deathcore band out there today.

So while “This is Exile” probably won’t replace your favorite Behemoth album, and its playcount on your iPod will slow down after a few weeks, it remains an excellent effort as far as deathcore goes. Whitechapel is a class act and I hope they continue to release quality albums. So, is deathcore the new death metal? God I hope not. The repetition and feigned anger will kill me long before becoming a scene kid will make me kill myself. But perhaps Whitechapel will kill the “core” in their sound eventually , and even if they don’t, at least they create hope for the genre.