So I'll be honest - I haven't listened to Whitechapel in a helluva long time but I have always thought that they were a really special and interesting band. Now as they set forth on their seventh album it becomes clear that these deathcore masters have evolved far beyond their roots to craft something incredibly heavy and emotionally powerful. The Valley is a stunner, a deeply personal release that I certainly wasn't expecting from the band. Personal, challenging and a clear step forward, this is a testament to just how good this band always was.
What gets me about this record is how straight up dark it is. This is a record that seems to delve far beyond the traditional tropes of the band and really forces the listener to choke on the sheer intensity of the ban.d With songs that are spectacularly written and with a sort of inherent bleakness worthy of the most twisted black metal album, it's hard not to be fascinated by the many layers of The Valley. The synths that pad out tracks like Doom Woods speak to a band who have matured and who are ready to unleash hell as you try to come to terms with an album that is at times ethereal and at others a punch in the fucking gut.
The Valley seems to revel in its own inherent madness. As you join the band on a harsh journey through a sort of sonic wasteland it's hard not to have these songs resonate within you. While yes, Whitechapel might not be the sort of thing I normally listen too I can't help but to eel impressed. It's an album that seems to push for new boundaries for the band and shows that more than a decade into their career, Whitechapel are still able to unleash some of their most poignant and powerful work to date.
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