Whitechapel – A New Era of Corruption
Every band has their signature album. Slayer has Reign in Blood, Cannibal Corpse has Vile, Pantera had Cowboys from Hell. A New Era of Corruption is Whitechapel’s masterpiece, a height of greatness they will never ascend to again. Sure, they’ll try the rest of their career to mimic the quality of this album, but they will fail.
It’s funny the band has reached this point this quickly. Their first album, The Somatic Defilement, was a straight up deathcore album that leaned heavily on the “core” element, nearly completely copying the early sound of The Acacia Strain. The album lacked originality and relied entirely too much on the token “chug-verse-chug” formula. It was boring and utterly forgettable.
Their second album, This is Exile, layered a more technical, almost industrial stomp-groove feel on top of The Acacia Strain copy-catting. Granted, they weren’t soloing on every song, but they were at least trying to get away from the “heard it before” deathcore doldrums. Yet, despite a few songs sneaking around the somewhat-less-boring-than-before filter (“Father of Lies,” namely) the record was a far cry from perfect. Whitechapel had a lot of work to do in order to carve out their own swath in the genre. I guess the band spent the two years since This is Exile released in a cocoon; A New Era of Corruption marks one heck of a transformation.
There are parts of every song that I can simply loop endlessly. I can put single songs on one-track repeat and listen happily for over an hour. This is a phenomenon that does not happen to me often, and when it does, it’s something special. From the middle bridge and solo of “Breeding Violence” to the absolutely grooving breakdown in “Unnerving,” every part of this album is listenable, memorable, and remarkable.
Consider this album the new deathcore archetype. What Through the Eyes of the Dead manufactured and improved with each album, Whitechapel has honed to a fine art here. The songwriting is razor sharp, with nary a section sounding out of place. The songs move fluidly from verse to chorus to bridge to solo and back again; no hitches, no unnecessary filler. It all belongs; it all fits.
If I had to compare this album within the genre, I’d say that Whitechapel has mixed The Acacia Strain’s The Dead Walk with Through the Eyes of the Dead’s Malice. On one hand, the production, vocals, and guitar work are all very similar to the former album, noise-controlled, widely-mixed, and very raw. The pacing and “groove” is akin to it as well. On the other hand, A New Era of Corruption has that melodious drone that runs underneath and beside the brutality of Malice. Like Through the Eyes of the Dead’s sophomore effort, this album has so many hooky melodies and dissonant phrases that I’m hard pressed to find a favorite. As I mentioned before, I’m looping individual parts of songs because the phrasing is so amazingly well crafted. Oh, and there’s no annoying minute-long filler “soundscape” tracks.
Flawless production, sharp songwriting, and a drastic maturity in sound; hard to ask for much more from a band’s third record. A New Era of Corruption is every single thing I’ve ever wanted from a Whitechapel release, things their first two efforts stopped just short of providing. I’ll go ahead and say it; this album will likely end up in my “best of all time” album pile. It’ll certainly be in the running for my album of the year. Do yourself a favor and buy this day one.
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50 Comments
May 26th, 2010 at 9:28 am
omg!!! I want this!!! thx for this great review!!!
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May 28th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
I Love this album…It grows like a weed that u cannot kill! Totally freaking awesome!
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May 28th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
How can u say that this is exile was bad?! or that they copied the acacia strain?!! granted they are good but could never TOUCH whitechapel. dont be upset cause you cant write what they can, you must be a failed musician. WHITECHAPEL rules and will be here for awhile.
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May 28th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
I'm sorry, Eric, but did you read the parts of the review about "A New Era of Corruption"? Because the review isn't on their previous two albums. Don't resort to personal attacks on the writer just because you disagree with him.
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May 28th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Personally I think it takes balls to stand up and say, “hey I hated this band’s previous albums and still have an open mind on a new release.” I applaud Adam for being unbiased and listening to each record with an open mind. So what if he didn't like the first two? He loves this one. Kudos, brother. Kudos.
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May 28th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
While I disagree with some parts mentioned regarding previous albums, the actual review is spot on.
This album already sounds amazing from the teaser's I have heard, and I can't wait until my pre-order comes in.
WILL BE EPIC
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May 28th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
@Eric
I listened to both albums again to get a feeling for where the band came from (I own both Somatic Defilement and Exile) and there's just no comparison between their early work and this album. And fyi, while I know music and can play guitar, I've not once attempted to make a living at it.
@Ekoo You're welcome!
@David
Oh, it IS epic. I haven't listened to anything else in days. It's that powerful of a record.
@Jen and Lee
Love ya'll
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May 28th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
This is really a great, really well-thought out review. I certainly would appreciate someone taking this much time to check out my record, even if they didn't like it. I'd like to ask for a little more on why Adam didn't like "This is Exile" as much though. Personally that album changed my life and the way I play and write guitar. I listened to that album 2-3 times a day for about 9 months straight and still haven't played it out. I feel that the writing is extremely articulate, the song structure is very solid and the mix is impeccable. I was wondering if you'd be able to tell me more on what you didn't like about "This is Exile?" Thanks.
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May 29th, 2010 at 1:34 am
I'm so psyched for this album! "Breed Violence" is so amazingly beast, I was almost disheartened when they released "The Darkest Day of Man" because it's not quite as powerful, but this review has totally re-awakened that burning anticipation.
Great review, I can't wait to hear the whole thing!
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May 29th, 2010 at 1:41 am
@Cap
This is Exile had some great innovations. LOVED and still listen to a few select songs from it, but overall, the album had a lot of songs that were just repetitive and it got boring very fast. If an album can't last past two weeks, I tend to move on rather harshly.
@actrambley21
If you like Breeding Violence, just wait until you hear Reprogrammed to Hate. It will have you weeping with joy.
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May 29th, 2010 at 5:44 am
Saying that a band will never top something is plain stupid… well maybe you're a fairy or something, dunno.
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May 29th, 2010 at 10:17 am
@Mozil
I had my wings clipped recently, so you can expect I'm a bit bitter. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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May 29th, 2010 at 11:05 am
well, honestly Somatic Defilement was pure crap, this is exile huge improvement and we'll hear this new one soon…
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May 29th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Hey Adam, great review. I absolutely loved Exile so hearing that this one is a huge step up is great. What songs are your personal favorites, and are there any really cool guitar solos?
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May 29th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
@Jon
My most-repeat-visit tracks are Re-programmed to Hate and Breeding Violence. Both have amazing structure and are very hook laden. Both also have great mid-song solos that are that perfect mix of technical and catchy. Unnerving is another personal fave as it has a great chugging tempo. Murder Sermon has the best vocalization of the album with its chorus "This is not the devil's work. This is a murder sermon, proven to be real."
The weakest song is The Darkest Day of Man. Not too catchy, kinda repetitive.
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May 29th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
I really loved The Darkest Day of Man and you say its the weakest song? wow you made me hyped.
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May 29th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
@mozil
Yes, get hyped. This album will obliterate you.
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May 31st, 2010 at 1:15 am
darkest day was a pretty disappointing song, especially lyrically imo. but teasers of the rest of the album sound great so im excited. so adam, what is your opinion on the album lyrically compared to exile? bc i thought where exile really excelled was its lyrics, especially when you read those stereotypically stupid ones to somatic defilement.
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May 31st, 2010 at 3:20 am
Man your review was fucking killer man. I pre-ordered this baby about two-three weeks ago. I think you are right in saying The Somatic Defilement was pretty much repetative. I think they should re-do The Somatic Defilement and give it the new Whitechapel sound. I'm not saying that the album sucks at all, but there are spots in some songs that sound kinda wack. Plus, they weren't signed with Metal Blade yet, and I think being signed with Metal Blade has made this band killer. This is Exile does have the two instrumental songs, which are good in their own way, but kind of a waste of space. They should have just made them actual songs. I like to listen to This is Exile and say to myself "Wow", this album sounds so much clearer than The Somatic Defilement. I don't think people realize that this album is a huge step in maturatiy for this band. They stopped going breakdown happy. And now with the new album out, I think Whitechapell can post their mark as the best deathcore band in the world. Awesome Review man
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May 31st, 2010 at 9:03 am
@Matt
Lyrically, the album excels because it's based on the concept that humanity is being destroyed/controlled/ruled by machines. It's an oft-used sci-fi trope, but it works well with the brooding, droning, mechanical-like structure and sound the album has. It fits great and doesn't sound tired or stereotypical.
@Jason
Glad you agree and thanks a bunch!
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Jordan replied:
June 19th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
I know it's been a while. Ha ha. yes the lyrics are about those things that you mentioned but you seemed to forget the other theme….It fucking rapes religion in a badass manner! which is amazing.
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May 31st, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Everybody do themselves a favor and buy the package deal its under 30 bucks and you get the album preorder, a shirt and a signed poster. thanks for the review, probably would have gotten the album preorder anyways but this made me want to preorder it sooner
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June 2nd, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I've known the band pretty well since around 2006 when they were still local, and I completely agree with you, Adam. "The Somatic Defilement" was straight up blistering death metal, but forgettable at best. "Exile" was better, much better, but they still hadn't found that niche. The fact that this album does, and does beautifully, makes me smile. I cannot wait to but it the first day it's out (JUNE FREAKING 8th) and to hear it live at Warped.
-TAB
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June 3rd, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I LOVE this album. Its funny that you said murder has the best vocals on the album as that part was actually done by Vince from tas.
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June 4th, 2010 at 1:53 am
Why would you try to say that a band will never be able to create an album better, or even as good as this next time? I am not sure if you have figured out how to construct a time machine, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Every Whitechapel album gets better as time goes by, what says that you know what their next album will be like. If you have not heard the next Whitechapel CD how can you make such an ignorant statement?
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June 4th, 2010 at 2:43 am
good review, but man cannibal corpses signature album is vile, what the fuck are you talking about? Anyway, this album is awesome, whitechapel have truly found their sound.
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June 4th, 2010 at 5:48 am
The author of this article is a moron. New Era of Corruption is Whitechapels worst album. Its got too many effects, too many repetitive breakdowns, and too many lame melodies with simple drum grooves behind them. Somatic defilement was the bands best album hands down. On another note, The Acacia Strain sounds nothing like Whitechapel. You have a messed up set of ears fool. Eat shit.
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June 4th, 2010 at 9:17 am
@Jimmy
I'm actually a Martian Warrior from the 27th century. I've heard all Whitechapel albums and their 154th actually does eclipse this one, but as you'll not live to see it, I felt it necessary to not mention its greatness in relation to A New Era of Corruption.
@lez
That's what I found out when I researched. To me, their best was Wretched Spawn or Kill, but that's just my opinion. Everyone else always tells me it was Vile.
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June 4th, 2010 at 10:00 am
@really?
The author of this article has expressed his opinion and shared it in a lot less virulent way than you have. Opinions are like assholes; some are dirty, some are clean, and everyone seems to have one. Here's some TP for you, good sir.
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June 4th, 2010 at 10:40 am
God, there are a ton of passionate Whitechapel fans. And just for kicks, Whitechapel does indeed sound similar to The Acacia Strain.
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June 4th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Loved the review Adam. And I really love how all the Whitechapel fans are mad that you didnt like This Is Exile but ignore that you gave A New Era the highest possible score. They seem to have missed the point of the argument. Personally I loved This Is Exile which makes me even more excited this album. Keep up the good work!
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June 4th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
I have to say, I don't really agree with the meager respect given the first two albums. Of course they weren't the greatest efforts ever to grace the metal scene, and myself personally, I felt that This is Exile was an overall better put together album, but The Somatic Defilement was a better album to spin endlessly. Vicer Exciser was the most popular song off that album, but I found the lyrics to be mostly monotonous, even though they had excellent delivery. This new album, is just fucking wow. Whitechapel have grown in their own. The only other disagreement I have with this review is the low expectations you have for the future of Whitechapel, Adam. I've spoken with Alex on numerous occasions and I have every reason to believe there will be much, much more insanity to come from these guys. I think they are showing Deathcore can be a respectable genre versus everything out there in this sect of metal. I have great faith in their musical abilities. But I can surely appreciate the core of the album review!
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June 4th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
And by the way, don't forget Single File to Dehumanization! One thing you cannot deny, these guys know how to end an album! The riff at around 2:55 is one of the heaviest, fuck-Meshuggah-copycatter riffs ever written! After the Burial would be proud to have written it!
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June 4th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
@ cruiciblecontact
I've been re-listening to This is Exile and must admit my synopsis in this review wasn't exactly fair. I'm rediscovering how good that album really was. It' s still no where near as great as A New Era of Corruption, but it's definitely a 3.5 or 4 outta five with me now. Thanks for the comment!
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Erik replied:
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:09 am
Didn't like Somatic Defilement, huh? I'm sure they're impressed with the fact that you can point out their "failings". I was hoping to read a positive review for this album, but the bash against early records was absolutely unnecessary. "Yea, this is pretty good…but your old shit sucked!" I bet that makes them feel really good. Why state an opinion about an album that you're not reviewing? It makes Whitechapel fans think to themselves, "ok, why is this fucking guy reviewing an artist he doesn't like?". Do you do this with every review? "Your old shit really sucked. It was bland, boring, and unoriginal. But this new stuff is great! I love hyping albums!". No. Just stop. The Somatic Defilement was a masterpiece. Likewise with This Is Exile. And quit comparing them to other bands. Whitechapel sounds like Whitechapel. That's it. Stop using labels and genres to form an opinion about something that doesn't need it. Instead, describe to people about how the record made you feel after listening to it, or even whilst you were listening. It's like you're grading a high school English paper. You're trying to make the album(actually all three) fit all the criteria that are "necessary" to make a good record. Music is about emotion, and that's all. No more, no less.
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Adam Schultz replied:
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:07 am
If a review is about emotion, here are my reviews for all three albums.
TSD: Meh.
TIE: Hmm.
ANEOC: WOOT
Read my reviews. I believe a band's catalog is VERY important in deciding how to gauge an album's worth in a discography, especially if the band has been around for a while. But that's just my opinion, just like this review. I'll use whatever damn categorizing labels I want. It's MY review. I'M the writer. I'M the one deciding what goes in the paragraphs that make up my reviews. Not some asshole who thinks "labels" are evil and we should stop comparing bands to other bands. Boo hoo. Get over it.
Welcome to my reviews. If you don't like it, that's not my problem. Now go tell someone else how to do their job. I've got albums to review.
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Erik replied:
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:27 am
Yea, it IS your review. And you did it wrong, you fucking pussy. I guess when you have an opinion, it becomes fact, right? Quit making reviews and quit listening to metal. You're a disgrace.
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Adam Schultz replied:
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:27 am
Did it "wrong?" There are guidelines, written into law, perhaps by yourself, oh review-nazi? "Yea," last time I checked, a review is an opinion, not a fact. I've never said my reviews are "facts." Troll if you're gonna troll, but at least make some fucking sense.
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Jen replied:
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:11 am
But yet if he didn't say anything bad, people would be all over here saying "Wow, you are such a Whitechapel fanboy."
You cannot please everybody.
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June 5th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
My friend pre-ordered this album and got it a couple of days ago. And I'll tell you what.. Listening to that album over and over again was practically all we did. I CANNOT wait to buy this. I agree with you; it's too hard to pick a favourite. Mine might be Reprogrammed to Hate, but I cannot find one single song that I dislike.
Beautiful review!
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June 8th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
it is simply a masterpiece!!! my fav from album is End Of Flesh. First riff at this song is killer!!!
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June 9th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I think Adam was spot on in his description of "The Somatic Defilement." I didn't like that album because of the double-tracked vocals, and now that they are doing much less of it I see they are maturing. Album review hits the mark as well, this album destroys
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June 10th, 2010 at 1:42 am
This album FUCKING SLAYS!!!!!! I agree with you Adam. This is, in my opinion, one of the best heavy albums of all time. I wasnt even a huge Whitechapel fan. I own This Is Exile and I like it but it never wowed me. I would listen to it from time to time and it has its moments. I had heard some of their earlier work and you could just tell they were right there and so close to making a masterpiece. This IS A MASTERPIECE!! A New Era Of Corruption is a must own album and one that will be celebrated for years to come. Whitechapel just made the world of heavy music stand up and take notice. There is a new king in town. I hope I get a chance to see them live at some point and see them slay this shit live.
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June 23rd, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Awesome review and I agree with everything said here. Cannot wait to get my copy. This album SLAYS!!
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June 28th, 2010 at 5:28 am
Adam is indeed a moron.
The new whitechapel doesnt get near the level of diversity and song writing from THIS IS EXILE.
New era is boring and generic but this is exile was good from every seconds of it.
The acacia strain? serously? your kidding me for fuck sakes they are totally different.
Shit review nuff said.
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July 1st, 2010 at 4:37 am
Ok, after having listened to this album numerous, NUMEROUS times in my car (I deliver pizzas and get a lot of music listening time), I have to say that I'm a little disappointed. It's almost the exact same feeling that I got from their last album: That about half the album is good, and the other half is relatively poor.
My perceptions about the album:
1) The vocals are great on this, nothing to complain about here, and he's much more audible to understand this time around.
2) I know this is a really "minor" issue, but the bass drops are really lackluster here. The reason why I point this out is because I have a sound system so I hear all of the bass drum hits and bass drops. I dunno, killer bass drops that sound really aggressive are a plus for me, and this album just doesn't really have it (if you want to know what I prefer, listen to a band called "By Blood and Iron", their song "An Infernal Offering" has some of the best bass drops/breakdowns I've ever heard.
3) This album is (in my opinion), meant to sound "evil", and not necessarily "badass". Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's kind of disappointing.
4) The songs (again, to me) just aren't that memorable. The breakdowns are even less memorable, and I know that some people hate breakdowns, but when used correctly, they can be awesome, and these just aren't as catchy. I honestly find myself listening to the album "The World is Ours" by Upon a Burning Body simply because overall it has a more cohesive and unique sound. The only songs on this album that really stand out to me are Devolver, Breeding Violence, Reprogrammed to Hate, End of Flesh, and Murder Sermon.
I only liked about half of This Is Exile, and the same can be said of this album. I really do want to love this album completely and wholeheartedly, but I just can't find myself getting excited about each song individually. It's really a shame, because I had high hopes for this one. Yes, the band has certainly matured, but they've gotten a bit boring in the process. Hopefully as I listen and try to like it more I'll be able to find things that I like in the songs that I don't care for, but for now, I'd have to give this album about a 3 out of 5.
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jonowev replied:
July 1st, 2010 at 9:51 am
I think those comments are pretty fair, although I can't beleive that you didn't like This Is Exile much. That's probably the second best deathcore release ever (after The Price of Existence).
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July 23rd, 2010 at 2:06 am
Didn't like Somatic Defilement, huh? I'm sure they're impressed with the fact that you can point out their "failings". I was hoping to read a positive review for this album, but the bash against early records was absolutely unnecessary. "Yea, this is pretty good…but your old shit sucked!" I bet that makes them feel really good. Why state an opinion about an album that you're not reviewing? It makes Whitechapel fans think to themselves, "ok, why is this fucking guy reviewing an artist he doesn't like?". Do you do this with every review? "Your old shit really sucked. It was bland, boring, and unoriginal. But this new stuff is great! I love hyping albums!". No. Just stop. The Somatic Defilement was a masterpiece. Likewise with This Is Exile. And quit comparing them to other bands. Whitechapel sounds like Whitechapel. That's it. Stop using labels and genres to form an opinion about something that doesn't need it. Instead, describe to people about how the record made you feel after listening to it, or even whilst you were listening. It's like you're grading a high school English paper. You're trying to make the album(actually all three) fit all the criteria that are "necessary" to make a good record. Music is about emotion, and that's all. No more, no less.
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Azriel replied:
July 24th, 2010 at 12:34 am
If anything, Erik, that should make them feel good. Did you want Adam to tell them they haven't evolved in their sound and make them feel like they're stale or something?
And if I recall in the review, Adam never said he didn't like the band, so there is no biased bashing, there is constructive criticism. He said they sounded the The Acacia Strain, but did he say that was a bad thing? No, he didn't, he just pointed that out.
You can point at two things, one of them being a pile of crap and say, "oh, that's a pile of crap", but you can also point at the other and say, "oh, that's cool, but I'm indifferent." That's what he did, he didn't bash them for sounding like The Acacia Strain.
I don't know why you're all huffed up about this. Look at this quote:
"A New Era of Corruption is every single thing I’ve ever wanted from a Whitechapel release, things their first two efforts stopped just short of providing." – Last paragraph, second sentence
I'm sorry that you're one of those guys who insists that since you're a fan, your opinion is last, absolute, and the final statement. Adam is a fan just like you; don't bash him for having an opinion that differs from yours. Every fan deserves to have a different voice.
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August 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Honestly, this album is VERY boring. Same stuff over and over. Sure it might be great if you're taking your first steps into metal… I used to think Underoath was amazing. But when you move beyond and listen to the likes of Death, Atheist, Cynic, or even ACTUAL death metal like Cannibal Corpse I believe you will find Whitechapel quite lacking. Nothing about the guitars grab my attention, they just seem listless and inane. The drums are basic bass-drum-follows-the-guitar-chug formula that so many core bands latch onto. The blast beats are pretty cool but in the context of the songs they seem almost lifeless. The vocals are actually pretty cool, but honestly this is a lackluster effort.
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