Deathcore titans return with powerful new LP
By Peter Lindblad
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| Whitechapel in 2012 |
Losing drummer Kevin Lane in late 2010 certainly took the
starch out of Knoxville, Tennessee deathcore doomsayers Whitechapel. As hard as
that pill was to swallow, Ben Savage would experience worse between the release
of A New Era of Corruption in the
summer of that year and the difficult birthing of the band’s latest self-titled
LP, a fiery blast furnace of hostility and rage that burns so hot it threatens
to consume anything that dares creep near it.
“My best friend died during that time, and he was a real
amazing piano player,” admits Savage, one of three architects of the savage,
thickly layered guitar onslaught wrought by Whitechapel on its immense new
sonic undertaking, released June 19 by Metal Blade. “That’s why we put piano
parts in the songs. He was an amazing piano player and a songwriter. When he
sung, it was beautiful. His name was Andrew Bledsoe (the son of veteran Knoxville
music writer Wayne Bledsoe) and … yeah, he was a great piano player and we felt
his arm around us.”
The melancholy that resides in those purposefully struck
keys is palpable. Unchecked violence and vehement invective almost buries them
on Whitechapel, a bloody war of
brutally heavy riffs, fire-breathing vocals and punishing, seismic rhythms all
caught up in a powerful maelstrom of surging emotions and oppressive darkness. And
yet there are sinewy vines of strange and beautiful melody found in the ruins
of these massive, shape-shifting structures of sound. From the scathing, anti-conformist
rant “(Cult)uralist” to the crushing devastation and bleak outlook of
“Possibilities of an Impossible Existence,” Whitechapel
is a furious condemnation of a society gone horribly awry, as the crazed,
chaotic beatings of “Section 8” and “Hate Creation” so viciously illustrate.
Now boasting a lineup of Savage, the growling, roaring lion
of a vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Alex Wade and Zach Householder, bassist
Gabe Crisp, and drummer Ben Harclerode, Whitechapel, formed in 2006, is primed
to stomp its way through the heavy metal community like Godzilla on bath salts.
This fall, Whitechapel is touring with Hatebreed. In a recent interview, Savage relayed the story of how Whitechapel survived
drug addicted booking agents and anxiety over a change of drummers to record its
fourth album in a house abandoned by a couple that apparently fought like cats
and dogs. Here’s what Savage had to say:
What do you remember
about hearing the new record in its totality for the first time?
BS: I was just
really stoked. I guess I look at it in a different way, because I could see all
the elements coming together, like how all the riffs kind of just fit into
place and how all the ideas came to be. I mean, it was like that one was put
together in a month, but we had ideas and parts for like a couple of years. We
had riffs from before the last album and stuff, so I could see it all coming
together, and I thought it couldn’t have come together in any better way. I try
to think about what else we could have done, but I can’t really think of
anything major that we could have done differently. So that’s a good sign, I
guess.
In sitting down and
thinking about recording the new record, what elements of the Whitechapel
aesthetic did you want to retain in making this album and what new features –
like perhaps the piano intro to “Make It Bleed” or that really affecting quiet
guitar outro in “Dead Silence” – did you want to add?
BS: I wanted to
be as different as possible, without coming off too tacky I would say. I wanted
the songs to be well – I mean, we all did – in a live setting, to be just
really powerful. And that’s basically what we tried to do, make it as cool
sounding as we could and still be able to pull it off live, but make it cool
sounding so that it intrigues people that listen to it for more than just the
music, to give them like another perspective – a musician’s perspective, but
still have like a nice live feel to it. So we messed around with tempo changes
and stuff, like dropping the tempo down. I still wish we could record an album
without a click track, because our first two were like that and they sound real
blah. We tried to make it as live as possible, basically.
Listening to the new
album, you can hear an increased complexity – both sonically and lyrically – to
this new record. But, it also has an expansiveness that is quite remarkable. Do
you feel like this is your most ambitious record to date?
BS: Yeah, I’d say
so. We’ve all been through a lot the past couple of years since the last
record, just in our home lives and everything. You try to find inspiration in
like the down times – I mean the hard times and everything. It really came
together I think because the record is real dark sounding, too. A lot of the
riffs were written under not very ideal conditions. Yeah, it’s definitely way
more vicious, because for the most part, we didn’t want to overthink it. That
was the main thing. The previous record, we tried to – especially the first two
albums – fit like 10 riffs into one song. On this record, it’s more like three
or four riffs per song, but those riffs go on different tangents. It’s
definitely way more dynamic, and it’s definitely like we didn’t just write a
riff with the first idea, you know. If we wrote a riff that was cool, we’d just
see what else we could do with it and see what other avenues we could take
rather than just stick with the first idea that came to mind. Phil did an
amazing job, too. Like, he’s just … it’s like we make the beats. We’re like Dr.
Dre and he’s Eminem just laying vocals down over it, and it just makes it
awesome.
It does seem like he
tried to sing a little more on this record instead of just all growls all the
time.
BS: I know, I
know. It’s good, it’s good. It’s like you can almost sing over the choruses. Whenever
we first started listening to the final version it occurred to me to make
joke-like songs over the choruses, just like singing them instead of just
growling them. We’d sing them. It’s real melodic like that. And also I just
want to … like the big thing recently I’ve wanted to be able to do is be able
to play our songs on an acoustic guitar. When we write the songs, we try to
mess with the riffs as much as possible so they’d sound good on an acoustic,
because that’s how you know a song is good if it rocks on an acoustic.
Is there going to be
a Whitechapel unplugged album some time?
BS: I’d be down
if people didn’t think it was too tacky. I could totally do it. We’ve already
done an acoustic version of a song from the last EP, but that’s the only thing.
We could do a lot of acoustic renditions on this one.
“Section 8” comes
from the EP you guys released last fall, and I love how it grows and evolves
into something that just keeps gaining speed, and then, it has slower, brutally
heavy finish. Working on that EP, did it at all point the way toward the
results of the new full-length?
BS: It did, it
did. The EP was definitely a good idea, although I think some people in our
band would disagree. But, I think it was a good idea in the fact that we were
on tour for so long, and we hadn’t had much time to write anything together
since we’d been on tour. It’s hard to get inspired when you’re doing that. So
we just basically … we wrote “Section 8” as a band, because like the last
album, A New Era of Corruption, that was more like, we toured a lot … we
still tour a lot, but we were touring a lot back then, so it was more of like
we all kind of wrote our own songs. Everybody still had an opinion on it, but
it was more like, we’d already come in with pretty much full songs, whereas
this one … with like “Section 8,” when we starting working on “Section 8” we
just kind of went back to what we used to do and start with the first riff and
work your way till the end. And then everybody throws in ideas, everybody worked
together. I think “Section 8” really helped the process for this record
writing-wise, like how to go about the writing part.
In what ways has the
band changed the most since The Somatic
Defilement?
BS: Well, I don’t
know. We have a new drummer, so that’s definitely a change. Everybody’s really
been like the same, it’s just like we have a different perspective on like the
music industry and how we should go about writing our songs. It just comes with
experience, but we all haven’t really changed that much. I mean, we have a new
drummer who can actually play our stuff perfectly, and we can actually make
tempos faster, we can make riffs groove harder … that was the hardest part.
Like, finding – especially in a band like ours – a well-oiled machine of a
drummer who can play the fast parts perfect and then be able to groove.
Usually, it’s one or the other. It’s hard to find a guy who is well-rounded, in
the middle sort of, and so we found the new guy … we also call him “new guy,”
so I’ll just call him “new guy” from now on in this interview. We got him like
a year ago, and when we got him, he just wanted to go fast. He was real fast
and we always pushed him to be like … well, he still had groove, so we were
just like, “You know, man, just groove harder man, just don’t be afraid of the
groove.” And you’re thinking about putting a double-bass part, a straight
double-bass, 16 double basses in one part; instead think of what else you can
do, like with the high-hat or something, that makes it groove harder other than
that. So that was another cool thing that came about.
Did it change the
dynamics of the band having him come in?
BS: Definitely …
in the studio and live. Like live, it’s tremendous, because that’s where you’re
showing off for the people to see. Live, you’ve got to have somebody that’s on
it. But, yeah, it definitely changes the dynamic, and because before we found
him, we all were just kind of like, “Oh sh*t, are we going to find a guy?” We
have a tour coming up in like a month or something. We need to … it was not a
good time in the band trying to find a drummer, because Kev had just left, but
when [Ben] came around, our spirits just shot up.
What guitar parts are
you most proud of on the new record?
BS: I’m real
proud of the guitars in “Hate Creation,” because those two riffs … basically,
the riffs in that song are like real old-school sounding. It’s like some parts
you listen back and you go, “Oh, that’s really cool, like that Tool part in the
middle, I’m so glad we did a part like that,” because I used to love Tool when
I was a kid. My first metal show was Tool and Meshuggah, and I was really stoked
to have that part in the song. And those riffs are like really old, too, so it
was cool that we finally got to use them. And I’m proud of “Make it Bleed,” the
riffs in that, because it’s pretty straightforward riffing, but they all flow
really well. And “I Dementia” … “I Dementia” is real brooding and heavy – yeah,
just happy with most of them or all of them.
I guess it feels this
way with every album a band makes, but do you feel that this is the album
that’s going to put you over the top?
BS: Yeah, I hope
so. I hope so, because … well, I don’t know, because every time I look back,
everybody was happy with the songs. It was like all of us were happy with the
material. So, yeah … I don’t know what better situation there could be.
You mentioned the collaborative
nature of this album, as evidenced by the naming of it. Did that make the
writing and recording of this record a more satisfying experience for you, or
did it in some ways make the process easier or more difficult?
BS: Um, it’s all
three. In the end, it was satisfying, but during the process … f**k man, it’s
like everybody’s stuck on a part, and you’re like, “I don’t know what you did
there, but it shouldn’t be that.” And I’m like, “Well, can you give me an idea?
Just something you don’t ever want to hear (laughs).” Patience is the key and
Alex, our guitarist, he has a new house. So, it was really easy just to go over
there, drive 10 minutes down to his house and just work and then drive home. It
was a really easy process. Alex’s house definitely has a lot more to do with
the writing process, because it was a comfortable setting.
Was the house
finished when you were working on it?
BS: Yeah, he got
it off like this couple. They had an argument and they broke up. There were
like holes in the walls throughout the whole house (laughs).
You’re kidding …
BS: No, they had
an argument. I guess the wife or the husband just went through punching holes
in the walls, and … I don’t know. And then, after that was fixed, it was all
set up and then from January to February, we were there pretty much every day
working. But, from halfway through January and February, we went to NAMM
because we have signature guitars, so that was a real kink in the writing
process. I think up to that point we only had two songs done and that was
January 15. And we had to go into the studio like Feb. 3, so that was a real
kink in the chain. But it gave us time to reflect on the material, and I went
through my hard drive while I was there. And I have like a catalog of just
riffs that I went through, just listened to them. So, it was all building up to
something good.
Most of the band is
from Tennessee. What was the environment like and how did it inform your sound?
BS: Well, I mean
… the schools are kind of … I don’t know (laughs) … I went to this magnet
school, when I was in middle school, and I met some friends and that’s when we
started a band called Psychotic Behavior. There wasn’t really like a music
scene, or if there was, I was too young to really go out to shows. I was just
out there listening to metal in my car … I mean, not my car but at home, you
know. After a while, I started going out to shows and it was cool. That made
you want to start your own band and do that whole thing. So it was just
ambition to do something other than just living here, ‘cause there’s nothing there
that really intrigued me. I just wanted to be in a band.
It seems like
culturally barren areas really influence people to start bands. I’ve heard
Slipknot talking about how it was growing up in Iowa …
BS: Yeah, I don’t
know what else you do in Iowa (laughs).
What were the early
days like for Whitechapel? Was it a struggle financially?
BS: Yeah, we all
had equipment before … we all had like day jobs. I was going to community
college and working at a deli. Phil and Alex were working at this
screen-printing shop. Phil also worked at this place answering calls for
jewelry television and stuff. He also cleaned the interior of cars for Jaguar.
Zach worked at a paint shop. I mean, we all had jobs. We’d save up enoughto buy
gear off people that we knew in town. We all bought our own equipment. We never
really had a sugar daddy (laughs) doing it for us.
What did it mean to
you to sign to Metal Blade a year later?
BS: I think that
at that point, we signed to Metal Blade and it was definitely just a confidence
boost. It was just like, “Wow! We can actually be optimistic with the band.”
So, I think that pushed us right on into our first release on Metal Blade,
because a lot of energy went into doing that and also a lot of stress. A lot of
the songs are really like riff sandwiches all throughout the songs … I’m still
happy with it. Oh, just signing to Metal Blade was just a huge confidence
booster. It was like, “Wow, we might actually be able to make a career off this
and do something cool.” Before that, we were just doing our own stuff with
tours and with like shady booking agents.
You got to know the
dark side of the business …
BS: Yeah. Aw man,
this guy was like a heroin addict. He booked the tour and then he just didn’t
care. Halfway through the tour, he just stopped advancing shows … he just
stopped halfway through, and I think it was like our second tour ever in 2007.
And he just stopped caring halfway through. He wouldn’t show up. There wouldn’t
be any promotion. It was like, “Oh, what the hell …” And then after we signed
to Metal Blade, you could actually feel people starting to care about you. The
management we have now, it’s like … well, people care about you when you’re on
a label.
A New Era of Corruption seemed to up the ante so to speak, sounding
more brutal and intense. When you look back on that record, how do you feel
about it?
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| Whitechapel has a new LP out |
BS: I’m real
happy with it. I mean, a lot of the songs were written individually. The songs
I wrote I’m more self-conscious about … you know, I’m like, “Sh*t, maybe it
would have been better if we’d worked together.” But when we released the
record I was proud of it, and I’m still proud of it. I mean, it is what it is.
At the time, we thought that was a necessary step. And I’m still proud of the
record. It was definitely what we needed at the time, and it did what it did.
And I’m proud as hell of the songs. The only thing is I’m not really like a
lead guitar player. I like writing riffs, so I’m really self-conscious about my
leads. That was probably the biggest part, like the leads on the record could
have been a little better … but, whatever.
I wanted to talk to
you about some of the tracks on the new record specifically. One of my
favorites is “Faces.” The intensity and speed just blows you away, and yet it
might be the most straightforward track on the record. What went into making
that one?
BS: Oh, there’s a
funny story behind that one. Our bass player, Gabe, whenever we’d come up with
like a cool riff, we’d e-mail each other. We’d like record it and e-mail it to
each other. And then people would reply back: “Oh, that’s cool,” or “Aw, it’s
cool you did this.” But sometimes you don’t get replies back. And then you’re
like, “Okay, I guess this riff sucks (laughs).” Gabe actually took a liking to
the first riff in that song. And we were like at Alex’s house like writing and
stuff, and Gabe and I were going to work on the song. We went out back to the
back porch and Gabe had like this Kentucky blueberry weed, and we smoked a bowl
of it, went inside and finished the song in an hour. It was like, “Bam.” Gabe
and I had never written a song before, so it was cool because Gabe just really
directed the song, “Yeah, and then there should be a part like this.” And it
went on like that, and we’d do that, and then, “Okay, we should bring it back
to this,” and the end of the song was done in about an hour. I think Alex and
“new guy” went to go get Chinese food, and then by the time they came back, the
song was done. And we were just stoked on it. It was a pretty cool moment. I
don’t know if we could have caught it at a better time.
Is “The Night
Remains” the most melodic track to you?
BS: I’d say so. I
mean, earlier on, everybody thought that song would be kind of a dud or
whatever, like it’d kind of be just all right. Then, I knew that song could be
real special; it just needed effects added to it. So we really focused on …
like in the song, if you don’t listen to the effects, it’s just real like
straightforward, like chugging … just real straightforward. But, with the
effects added to it and the layers and the atmosphere adds a new vibe. I still
think we named the song perfectly, “The Night Remains,” because it kind of has
a nighttime, Halloween type of feel about it.
“Hate Creation” is
the first single, and the breakdowns and changes in tempo are so unpredictable.
I quite like the dual guitar parts as well. Why did that track seem the perfect
one to release first?
BS: Probably
because it was different, but it wasn’t so different that people would be like,
“Oh wow! I’m just not going to care about this band anymore.” It was different
enough that it was like Tool, you know. It was like everything wasn’t like
awkward at all or … it was just like an anthemic song. I don’t know. It just
felt right. I don’t know, it’s heavy and basically, it’s just classic
Whitechapel.
What are you most
looking forward to in touring this summer?
BS: Yep. Um,
looking forward to seeing High On Fire, Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead … all those
cool bands. I don’t know … just looking forward to playing all the new songs.
Have you played the
new songs live and if you have, what’s been the reaction?
BS: The only one
we’ve played live is “Section 8,” and the reaction has been great for that. I
want to start playing some of the slower songs live, like “I Dementia” and the
closing track on that record ‘cause it’s going to add a different contrast to
the songs we have. It’s going to have like a slower, groovy thing to the live
show that’s going to be real cool.
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