Customer Reviews

This Is Exile

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

well,well,well my boys Whitechapel have finally grown up, I quickly became a fan of them last year with their previous release the somatic defilement, with its extremmly instense bass drops and breakdowns but the thing i loved most was the lyrics though you would think their would be alot of bands out there with lyrics about murder and Rape in todays scene where its mostly dominated emo'ish death metal wannabes there are very few bands that truly stand out whitechapel is one such band,and on there lastest release on the mighty metal blade records, we find that not much has changed since their first albu.Sure there are still Big breakdowns and nasty lyrics but at the same time so much is different.The vocals are more brutal with more low than high this time around, the temo is faster,the songs are more grandoise,and the lyrucs in my opion no matter how satanic are veryh well thought out and tell a very intresting story.One of the very big changes whitechapel incorparated into this latest effort is one I do not ever wish for them to take out that is the introduction of the very simple yet completly mesmerizing guitar solo there are quite a few in this one nne ever to long and drawn out but ebough to sound awesome.overall this album is defefiantely atep up for them its obvisouly more tech, mature, and those who liked the somatic defilement will have no trobuble picking this one up there is not a bad track.and those who were that this would be totally diffrent in a bad way need not worry this ablum is extremmly solid and highly recommend this to anyone into death metal. it is one of the best albums in along time I am not just saying that I mean with all my heart I was complety captivated every time I listen to it I just close my eyes and listen to the music.

First of all let me start by saying White Chapel is one of the best bands I have heard in a long time. Now according to popular media and some fan reviews I get the idea the only thing wrong with White Chapel is they are considered Death core. Like in this case that is a bad word. White Chapel could easily fit the bill of death metal. The vocals are not totally cookie monster so does that take away from the sheer brutality you hear in this album and Somatic Defilement? I don't think so but this is my opinion and that is all. I think WC is on the way to the top if they continue to beat you senseless with this level of brutality and technicality. I like this band,this cd and the previous cd. Recommended for any fan of brutal,bone crushing metal music.

I first heard Whitechapel when I heard the song "This Is Exile" on Music Choice Metal last year, and it really caught me by surprise, and afterwards I ended up going out and buying their 2008 release "This Is Exile" (which is their second overall release and their first with the mighty Metal Blade), and I was very impressed, as it really grew on me. I really enjoy this album alot, it's just that good, no questions asked. Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Whitechapel is a six-piece deathcore unit that are more death metal sounding than metalcore, heck I wouldn't even consider them as a metalcore band. I find them to be one of the better bands to emerge from today's deathcore scene (which has really become popular as of late). I also enjoy some other few deathcore bands such as The Red Chord, Despised Icon and All Shall Perish as well. Now I'll get right to the album. This album definately caught me by surprise, it's just brutal, vicious, and bone crushing, with a sound that is ruthless, unforgiving and downright evil. Phil Bozeman has an extremely awesome vocal range with a great mix of sick, evil low gutteral shouts/growls and wicked high pitched shrieks, he really sounds like he's out to get you. The guitars are a huge standout on here, and yes, there are three guitarists in this band: Zach Householder, Ben Savage, and Alex Wade. I know it's kinda unecessary for a band to have three guitarists, but these three guys work together very well with some surprising results. The riffs are awesome along with some nice tremelo picking, and the breakdowns are just brutal and massively crushing throughout. And yes, there's even some solos on here as well, and very good solos at that especially on the brutally vicious opener "Father of Lies" which has a great solo around 1:41 which is followed by some cool melodic tremelo riffage. Bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Kevin Lane both provide an excellent rhythm section. Gabe's bass rhythms flow very well with the triple guitar onsluaght, and Kevin shows his great talents behind the drums with ferocious blasting beats, and he also does well with the double bass as well. The title cut is easily my favorite song on here which features brutally crushing riffs, pounding drums and some massive crushing breakdowns especially one around 3:04. Phil's vocals are just excellent on this track as well. "Exalt" is another highlight that features guest vocals from Guy Kozowyk of The Red Chord, as well as some great double bass kicking, more crushing riffs/breakdowns and a nice melodic solo. "Possession" is another song I like that features evil, vicious vocals from Phil especially during a crushing breakdown at 2:44 where he goes "WE ARE THE DISEASE!!". "To All That Are Dead" is highighted by another awesome vocal performance by Mr. Bozeman, as well as more ferocious blasting by Kevin, and another fantastic guitar solo to boot. Other worthy mentionable song on here include "Eternal Refuge", "Somatically Incorrect", and "Messiahbolical".

Overall, I thought "This Is Exile" was a great worthy listenable deathcore release that really caught me by surprise and blew my mind away. I definately recommend this album to any fan of deathcore, death metal, or just bone crushing extreme metal period. THIS is indeed proof that there is good deathcore out there. Enjoy!!

If your not hooked at about 1:30 into Father of Lies, the first song, then stop listening. Absolutely brutal metal.

Death and black metal bands are a dime-a-dozen these days. All one has to do is check out any metal magazine out there - Revolver, Decibel, etc. to see all the ads for obscure bands on equally obscure labels with the suddenly in vogue runny logos that look like the grasshopper that kisses your windshield. The grasshopper and the logos are equally impossible to read, and the covers are all doom and evil themed, which says one thing: mass market metal with little attention to originality.
Then we have Whitechapel from that bastion of metal, Knoxville, Tennessee. Just up the road from the country mecca of Nashville, and across the state from the home of blues and rock'n'roll, Memphis. Must be something in the water supply, but this band sure ain't pickin' and a grinnin', that's fer shore.
Whitechapel boast three, count 'em, three guitars, and have a truly caustic death vocalist in Phil Bozeman, who reminds me of Randy Blythe and Behemoth's diabolical grunter Nergal. In fact, the band actually strongly resembles a cross between Behemoth and Lamb Of God, kind of Lamb Of God taking that final step into total death metal, if you will. But this isn't a clone band. The arrangements are slightly less cluttered than Behemoth's infinite layers of guitars, and we get lots of great lead work and interplay between the axes three.
The lyrics are on the CD, which, in death metal is always a good thing, because cookie monster vocals are almost impossible to decipher, and they reveal a thoughtful band that on this second CD are showing great promise. Perhaps Knoxville being the home to the University of Tennessee helps for a more cosmopolitan atmosphere that allows metal this ferocious to flourish, because this laid back mountain city isn't the one you'd expect to sire an outfit like Whitechapel. Tennessee breaks new ground again.

After almost two years, of having this album, I am now just realizing how great this album is. I bought it the day it came out, at the time I still liked their first album more than this one, but now it's different, I like both of them the same. I have seen Whitechapel live three times in 2008. I've meet most of the band twice. They are awesome people. Only three of us at the Seattle show back in August 2008, got to get cd's signed by Phil, so it made me feel lucky. I am hoping to go see them again on the Job For A Cowboy tour. I think Whitechapel is one of the best bands in this genre of music. They kill it live every time. It's hard to chose favorite songs on this album. If you haven't got this album yet, and you like Death Metal, and such you are missing out on something great.

I at first hated death metal, but when i heard "This is Exile" on rock band 2, i have since then been hooked. This album is great, with growls and plenty of breakdowns. These songs are epic, one of my favorite albums right here!

Top 3 Songs:
3. Possession- fast paced song, good breakdowns, and great instrumental parts! Vocals and lyrics are great, too.
2. Eternal Refuge- great medium paced song, growls are amazing, with blast beast drumming and awesome guitar riffs.
1. This is Exile- Best song on the album, and one of my favorite songs by Whitechapel. Very fast paced song, slows down around the middle of the song, and gets faster about 2/3 of the way through. Great growls, and once again features blast beat drums and fast guitar riffs.

Also, honorable mention goes to "To All That Are Dead" and "Somatically Incorrect.

Deathcore is like any other musical genre; some artists are good, others are forgettable. While I am not a -core listener per se, (deathcore, modern-day hardcore, some metalcore bands), and I know that deathcore has a bad reputation, I will honestly admit this. I think "This Is Exile" is a fantastic album and is very respectable, regardless of whatever sub-genre it would fall into.

From the first opening notes of "Father of Lies", this album never once fails, in its 42 minutes, of everything it sets out to have: crushing breakdowns, inhuman drumming, purely demonic vocals, complex song structures, quite a few shredding guitar solos, and lyrics that so exquisitely mix psychology, horror imagery, and sheer poetry rolled into one. Oh yeah, and Phil Bozeman has one speedy voice! Listen to the first twenty seconds of "Possession", or the first verse of "This Is Exile" and tell me that sort of speed and yet vocal accuracy melded into one, takes a lot of practice. These guys aren't any Johnny-come-lately's, they've worked hard to prove that they can be a deathcore band and still taken seriously as musicians and lyricists.

The breakneck-fast guitar solo in "Father of Lies", or the slow, mysterious harmonic-minor riffs at the end of "To All That Are Dead" also show that these guys are capable of writing good melodies, too, and unlike some deathcore bands, don't rely only on breakdowns. However, they do still take slower sections and make good use of them, such as the creepy, masterful section in "This Is Exile" where Phil Bozeman does a ten-second death growl over some haunting, lighter guitar notes, or the ending of the seven-minute epic closer "Messiahbolical", which not only successfully incorporates slower parts, but is unusual in general for deathcore, and very interesing.

Overall, this album is a stunning mix of brutality, talent, and intelligence. Give it a good blast and let your head bang! Thanks for the time, and peace.

Deathcore is quickly growing stale, though it's thankfully not as whiny and pretentious as metalcore, but the fact is that monstrous palm-muted chords and death-barked vocals will only be fun for a time. But there's something about this album that keeps me coming back time and again. Haters be darned, deathcore is a brief but welcome breath of fresh air to the metal/hardcore scene, and if you don't take it too seriously, it can be a lot of fun. All Shall Perish still reign supreme in my opinion, but Whitechapel brings a unique style that combines everything fun, nasty, and brutal about metal and hardcore and wraps it all in a pretty, Hot Topic friendly package. Behemoth breakdowns, ultra-low gutteral vocals, staccato riffs, earthquake grooves, it's all here. The songs sound a bit similar but this is heaviness the likes of which the mall rats have never seen. Deathcore is the metal du jour but don't let that keep you from trying this highly un-nutritious but very sweet metal dish. I swear there are moments when this album possesses you and bangs your head no matter how hard you fight it.

It's not metalcore. It's not death metal. It's DEATHCORE!!! In a genre that is usually overrated, one band breaks the mold and delivers something incredibly unique and intense and that is WHITECHAPEL!

Phil's vocals have more range than a bass pro's fishing rod.

Breakdowns don't even feel like traditional breakdowns in that they feel so much more evil (a word that is used quite often to describe the feeling of Whitechapel's music). In fact, this is the most evil-sounding metal album I own that is not black metal.

I'd say the general theme of the album (lyrically) is taking over the world, something that this band will likely do if they keep sounding as good as they do!

I've seen them live and that is quite an experience also! The pit goes insane for Whitechapel (especially since I saw them in their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee)!

Even if you don't like most of the deathcore bands, you should give Whitechapel a chance! They might surprise you as they have surprised me!

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