Whitechapel have been producing outstanding albums for most of their nearly twenty-year career, with exceptional critical acclaim for 2019’s, ‘The Valley’, and 2021’s, ‘Kin’, however just when you thought that they have reached their peak of creativity, they deliver what can only be described as a devastatingly heavy experience that harks back to the era of the bands first three albums 2007-2010.
Guitarist, Alex Wade stated “we attempted to write our heaviest album to date” adding their desire to put out something that was, “shockingly menacing and brutal”. Well, if that was the mandate, then job done!
‘Hymns of Dissonance’ is a concept album of a cultist who is recruiting people to join his cult and the selection of tracks that accompany this morbid story are bone-chilling, and equally brutally satisfying as each slice of chaos comes crashing into the atmosphere.
Bozeman delivers a staggering performance here, seamlessly shifting between guttural growls and possessed-like screams, particularly on tracks like, ‘Diabolic Slumber’, ’Hate Cult Ritual’, and the outrageously heavy, ‘The Abysmal Gospel’, which will have you gleefully grimacing beyond your control.
With ‘Hymns of Dissonance’, Whitechapel once again pushes their boundaries, crafting an album that is both punishingly heavy and deeply poignant—a must-hear for 2025. 4.5/5
‘Hymns of Dissonance’ is out now via Metal Blade Records. Order your copy here.
Oran O’Beirne
www.overdrive.ie
