Sometimes record companies do pay attention and get the packaging just right. This album is a case in point as the vinyl matches perfectly with the album art and looks stellar.
This is album number eight for Whitechapel and was released in 2021. Now I don’t delve too far in the growl and grunt vocals as it usually drives me nuts, but occasionally a band do it well and mix it with the cleans.
First track I Will Find You is a monster tune and it’s deep in Prog metal territory. The musicality is superb and the switch from dark to clean vocals fits really well. Lost Boy is so fast initially it’s hard to keep pace with the changes, then everything stops and changes pace with the clean vocals kicking in. They do it so well! A Bloodsoaked Symphony starts with a slow evil dirge and the riff is played so low the guitarist must be in Australia. Side 1 closes out with Anticure, a strangely beautiful song with what sounds like fuzzed up acoustic guitars and a clean vocal for the most part.
Over to Side 2 with The Ones That Made Us and again, a riff so low and heavy we are in wooly strings territory. The main verse has a groove that you can actually move to. Alex Rudinger is a monster on the drums, some of kicks are insanely fast. History Silent is another tune that starts with a delicate sounding vocal, and I love the ying and yang between the two. To The Wolves is so fast and intense at the intro it’s hard to keep up with the groove, and this is where death metal loses me I’m afraid. The song is super cool when it slows down and the middle section is killer. Orphan is the last track on Side 2. A slower paced groove with a clean vocal and the vibe feels somewhat dark.
Over to Side 3 and the final side as 4 is the dreaded etched side. After a delicate acoustic intro the heavy slams in like blunt force trauma to Without You, Without Us. The song ebbs and flows between light and dark throughout. The title track Kin closes out the album and for the most part it’s just acoustic keys and vocals, and then the middle eight is killer. This is about as traditional a rock song as these guys do, it’s superb and it’s my favourite tune.
I really like this album a lot and I’m sure a lot of you would to.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
