Tennessee deathcore progenitors
Whitechapel tossed fans a curveball with 2014's
Our Endless War. That record smashed an engagement with more traditional heavy metal sounds and hardcore. It sold well, but reviews were mixed -- legacy fans, especially deathcore fanatics, despise change. While that horde may not be ecstatic about
The Mark of the Blade, there is much more for them to warm to here. More open-minded listeners, who weren't previously predisposed to the band's earlier blastbeat-driven three-guitar brutality, may embrace this date as readily as they did
Our Endless War. On their tenth anniversary, the band provide something for everybody while ultimately satisfying themselves.