REVIEW: Whitechapel “Our Endless War”
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Whitechapel is like the army general when it comes to the deathcore genre. Always improving their craft, never once letting the chance to evolve pass them by, there is a reason why they have become one of the most popular bands in the scene today. Coming back in 2014, they have come out with the best deathcore album I’ve heard in years. Hard hitting instrumentals and head smashing vocals, Our Endless War is easily a top ten album of 2014, and a clear cut contender for album of the year.
Antagonistic from start to finish, the instrumentals are merciless, the lyrics are callous, and the vocals are ruthless. However, with all the hate, there is a heavy layer of emotion under some of these songs. “Diggs Road:, for example, is about the struggles that Phil faced growing up as a teenager while he fought the urges to commit suicide after the loss of both his mom and dad. On the opposite side of that spectrum is the ultimate hate anthem “Mono” which goes against every band out there that uses a “positive message” to just sell their records. Instead of preaching that you can make it and get through, Phil just screams KILL YOURSELF (Editor’s Note: I do not condone that statement, and neither does Phil, so relax. It’s just a song). The song “Our Endless War” is a politically charged anthem to stand up against the corruption and greed taking over America. A played out message, but I can’t help but praise how well this song was written lyrically, and the instrumentals backing it up just make you want to get up and thrash about. Every song has it’s own personal background and are perfectly written.
I have trouble pointing out a flaw with this album. This is perfect deathcore, no matter how you look at it. Aside from personal preference, there is not much to criticize here. My only problem with the album is it’s too short. I want so much more. I’ve replayed this album dozens of times already, and I just want more. More aggression. More violence. More hatred. I want more brutality. Whitechapel has truly perfected the art of making great deathcore.
Barbaric, primal, and fiendishly dark, Our Endless War has something for every fan to love. Whether you want a throwback to “Somatic Defilement” in the form of the viciously hateful “Mono” or something emotionally wicked in the form of “Diggs Road”, or even an anthem that assaults your ears in the best way possible like “The Saw Is The Law”, Whitechapel has created a monstrous album that has become the pinnacle of eight years of hard work and dedication, and will leave all their fans craving so much more.
