The release of consecutive critically acclaimed records has placed Whitechapel firmly in the Death Metal driving seat. They have risen from underground obscurity to Billboard success, and that is an achievement in itself for a band that prides themselves on dishing out controversial lyrics and blistering breakdowns. Our Endless War is their fifth studio album to date, and it’s sickeningly good.
Bypassing the brief intro, the record properly begins with the ferocious title track. Phil Bozeman wastes no time in spouting explicit criticism over a triple-layered guitar assault, and it takes even less time to notice that this is their heaviest and most aggressive work so far. There’s a new found groove smothering their riffs as well, most notably on ‘The Saw Is The Law‘, which gives a bit of spice and definition to their otherwise-compounding style.
‘Let Me Burn‘ shows their class as they seamlessly flip from slow, sludgy groove to pacey riffs, defying the rule book and resisting the urge to blast their way through the pack. There’s a bit of that dotted around the record, the opening stages of ‘Psychopathy‘ coming to mind, but it is still a welcomed characteristic of Death Metal when used sparingly. The progressive nature of ‘Diggs Road‘ then adds yet another dimension to ever-growing list, as does the stylish solo, and it all moulds together to guarantee that they top their last self-titled record.
Our Endless War has everything expected of Whitechapel, and that little bit more. 2012’s Whitechapel fit the bill, whereas Our Endless War stretches it further than Bozeman’s earlobes. It’s heavy, it’s groovy, and it’s progressive, laying down a benchmark for others to try and follow suit. Just don’t pay too much attention to the lyrics, they are a bit glum.
