Showing posts with label Metal Blade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metal Blade. Show all posts

CD Review: Whitechapel - Whitechapel


CD Review: Whitechapel - Whitechapel
Metal Blade

All Access Review: A-

Whitechapel - Whitechapel 2012
Someday, a happier Phil Bozeman might be moved to pen a charming children’s book full of goodness and light-hearted mirth. That’s not likely to happen anytime soon, however, as the superhuman, almost bestial lead vocalist and resident wordsmith for deathcore warriors Whitechapel has a spleen full of hate-filled bile built up inside that is just begging to be vented. And he expels gallons of it on the Tennessee band’s hotly anticipated new June 18 release for Metal Blade, a seething emotional cauldron of intensely hostile and dense, aggressively dynamic metal that’s saturated with starry atmospherics and resigned to the idea that “the world will rot from the inside out,” as Bozeman demonically growls in the brutally heavy chorus to “Section 8.”
As the decomposition eats away at mankind, Whitechapel will serenade the apocalypse with darkly melodic passages, a dizzying array of riffs and violent, death-obsessed imagery. A parade of exquisite misery and pain, expressed so vividly in Bozeman’s full-throated roar, this scary self-titled effort signifies just how anxious Whitechapel is to escape the restrictive extreme music ghetto they’ve been locked up in since their screaming, agonized birth. “Section 8” is their cry of freedom. A nightmarish frenzy of angry guitars and furious blast beats – courtesy of clever new drummer Ben Harclerode – that pummel and attack from all angles, “Section 8” shifts tempos seamlessly, slowing to a bulldozing crawl and then accelerating to breakneck speeds before exhaling its last breath. Similar in how it switches directions, the expansive first single, “Hate Creation,” does a swan dive into a swirling vortex of guttural, hellish vocals and layers of evil-sounding guitars created by Ben Savage, Zach Householder and Alex Wade. Regaining its footing, Whitechapel floats through little mystical episodes that vanish like mirages when a blazing sonic holocaust – stoked by Sepultura-like tribal percussive chanting from Bozeman – scorches the song’s sacred earth.
More curious, however, are “The Night Remains” and the epic closer “Possibilities of an Impossible Existence,” the former a mysterious, shadowy presence bringing destructive grooves and oddly intoxicating guitar hemlock and the latter a burnt offering of relentless heaviness and decayed beauty. Punctuated by a morose piano outro that serves as an exhausted epithet for this asylum of insane thrash, paralyzing breakdowns, and vigorous, charging rhythms, “Possibilities of an Impossible Existence” is the last monolithic structure standing on Whitechapel, an album that survives massive, devouring conflagrations like “Make it Bleed” and the politically-charged screed “Faces,” while also absorbing the booming guns of the chugging battleship “I, Dementia.” If this record is any indication, Whitechapel may just be deathcore’s greatest hope for crossover success … and Bozeman would be its messiah.

-            Peter Lindblad

Over 200 Sealed NWOBHM Records Head to Auction

The Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters auction is offering more than 200 sealed records from illustrious record labels such as Neat Records and Heavy Metal Records in its Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction, which ends Nov. 7, 2010.

“At the 11th hour, we received an incredible collection of sealed — early 1980s — heavy metal albums that is so impressive, it is sure to spin some heads,” said Backstage Auctions founder and president Jacques van Gool. “We’ve got sealed albums from some of the most notable metal lables of the past few decades, including Neat Records, Roadrunner, Metal Blade, Shrapnel, Heavy Metal Records and Enigma, among others — which are a goldmine for the true metal music collector.”

Good- condition vinyl is selling for record prices, and the growing demand easily outranks the supply. As such, Backstage Auctions was elated when it received this truly “last-minute” consignment from a now-defunct import record distributor in Asia, which consigned more than 200 of these elusive gems, highlighted by the fact that each and every copy is still sealed. Once metal icons such as Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Judas Priest and Def Leppard had kicked the doors wide open to the glorious days of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, small and independent record companies mushroomed across Europe and America, giving birth to legendary labels such as Neat Records, Heavy Metal Records, Killerwatt, Roadrunner, Metal Blade, Megaforce and Shrapnel. The legions of metal fans around the globe were so vast and hungry that — weekly — literally dozens of new releases were pressed and distributed to thousands of records stores.

Few things back in the early 1980s were as exciting as rushing home with the newest Neat Records release, just to hear what the next New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band had to offer.

“Even for the most seasoned metal collector, this treasure chest of records contains an unmatched depth of obscure titles,” van Gool said. “Truth to be told, I would have the hardest time to decide what to do with any of these records — keep them sealed or set ‘em free and soak up the sounds that defined the ’80s. And yes, those sounds royally ticked off our suffering neighbors downstairs. I vividly remember how much my parents resented my Friday afternoon return from my local record shop, armed with a bag full of fresh metal, ready for another weekend of headbanging and air-guitar. I suppose I learned early on that the more your parents hated it, the better the album probably was.”

In addition to precious discs by Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Judas Priest and Saxon, the collection is loaded with exceptionally rare releases from historic labels such as Neat Records (18 titles), Roadrunner (28 titles), Heavy Metal Records (12 titles) and Metal Blade (15 titles), featuring illustrious names such as Venom, Jaguar, Tygers of Pan Tang, Angel Witch, Cirith Ungol, Bitch, The Rods, Raven, Pandemonium, Armored Saint, Tysondog, Anvil, Trouble, Blitzkrieg, Battleaxe, Tokyo Blade, Chastain, Mad Max, Fates Warning, Avenger and War Machine.

The complete auction catalog showcases amazing pieces direct from the private collections of Al Jourgensen (Ministry); Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy, Whitesnake, Dio); Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, Impellitteri); Scott Rockenfeld (Queensryche); Kip Winger (Winger); Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Aerosmith); Andy Laroque (King Diamond); John 5 (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson); and Walter O’Brien (Concrete Management).

Whether you’re in the market for a smashed John 5 guitar, vintage concert photos of KISS, Black Sabbath or AC/DC, original art by Marilyn Manson, RIAA record awards or Ministry master recording reels, this auction has just about everything to get a metal fan or collector excited.

 Lots include rare artist-signed collectibles, recordings, concert photos and negatives, original artwork, promotional and concert posters, record awards, backstage passes, promotional merchandise, stage gear, artist-worn apparel, drumsticks, exclusive ephemera, tour books and some really cool road cases.

For more details on the more than 500 lots featured in this auction simply click on the AUCTION tab at the top or click here: Rock Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction.

This article was written and originally posted by Goldmine Magazine.