Whitechapel

Kin

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Genre: Deathcore.
Released: 29/10/2021
Via Metal Blade

Album Review: Whitechapel – Kin

Whitechapel has been one of the biggest names in the deathcore scene for quite some time now so it comes as no surprise that the anticipation for the bands latest album ‘Kin’ has been pretty wild. With every single release, fans of the band have been extremely vocal, and if you’re a fan of the scene then you’d probably be aware of just how hard it’s been to escape the opinions, so without any further delay, here is my opinion on Whitechapel’s ‘Kin’. 

The album kicks off with the thunderous ‘I Will Find You’. The track has heavy undertones and, for the most part, utilises the band’s unique screaming style, however the song also uses cleans and acoustic styles to create an odd but satisfactory contrast that I personally really like. Continuing the assault is ‘Lost Boy’, a fast and heavy entry into the album that’s here to take no prisoners whatsoever. Machine gun-like blast beats blended with chugging riffs will always make for an enjoyable listening experience when it comes to deathcore and this is no exception. Great song that is certainly worthy of being asingle. 

‘A Bloodsoaked Symphony’ starts a little softer before a barrage of impactful drumming and riffs enters the scene. Despite being a slower song in general, the level of atmosphere this song produces is simply astonishing. It gives off a very evil sounding instrumental which is complemented by a vocal performance quite like any other on the record. If there was one song I’d have to make you listen to on this album, it would probably be this one.

Unfortunately, we have come across our first roadblock in the album in the form of ‘Anticure’. As nice as the sing is, the more metalcore esc feel of the track doesn’t fit Whitechapel well. Maybe this is just the elitist in me showing however the song is significantly less memorable than the bands heavier entries and it never quite stuck the landing for me. Thankfully, ‘The Ones That Made Us’ rectifies most of my issues with the previous song and reintroduces a much heavier feel to the record. The way this song is constructed just makes you want to bang your heads to every beat within it and I cannot stress enough just how infectious it is. 

The album slows down a bit after that with ‘History Is Silent’ opting for a mix of cleans and gutturals in order to change up the flow off the record while ‘To The Wolves’ launches an all-out attack of deathcore and I’m here for it. Great melodic guitar playing matched with a beast of a drum track makes for one hell of a listen. ‘Orphan’ was polarising when it was released as a single and it’s clear to see why. Once again the more metalcore esc feel doesn’t quite work for me when it comes to Whitechapel and this song is no exception.

Nearing the end of the record now and ‘Without You’ is a nice segway into the behemoth of a track called ‘Without Us’. This is probably the first track that leans more toward the metalcore side that I can actually get behind. It blends their heavier side with their newfound melodic style better than any track that has tried before it. This song is proof that they can pull it off so hopefully, they can continue this form on later releases. The final track ‘Kin’ is a massive change, opting for an acoustic style for the first half of the track before introducing a more melodic esc instrumental makes for an interesting listen. It’s certainly not my favourite track on the album however I can appreciate what the song is trying to achieve and have a decent time listening to it. 

Overall, I have to admit that I’m not blown away by this release. The album has its moments for sure however I cannot help but feel that is legions below their 2019 release ‘The Valley’. The records lows just stand out a bit too much for me and I can’t see myself going back to listen to this album in full again any time soon. I’d certainly recommend giving this album a chance but for me, it just doesn’t quite do it as a whole.