‘Hymns in Dissonance’ Review: Deathcore’s Finest

Deathcore outfit Whitechapel — formed in Knoxville, Tennessee — has been a major figure in the extreme metal scene since their inception in 2006, producing numerous hugely popular efforts in the genre such as 2014’s “Our Endless War” and 2019’s “The Valley.” As pioneers of the metal subgenre, their sound has changed constantly, especially in recent years with the incorporation of different elements — such as clean vocals — into their music.

However, their latest album, “Hymns in Dissonance,” released on March 7, is definitively deathcore, emerging as their most brutal album in years, possibly even their most brutal album ever. Many are viewing this as a return to the band’s roots, with the band making no compromises in what is an epic and chilling aural onslaught.

The album follows the story of a cultist as he attempts to recruit members to his cult in his effort of fostering the rule of evil over virtue. The album is animalistic, forcing the listener to address the darkest parts of the darkest members of humanity. It’s not nice, and it’s not supposed to be.

The protagonist, Prisoner 666, is on a mission to bring his father, the Lord of All Evil, back to life, by committing the seven deadly sins. The first two songs introduce the listener to this character, while the remaining eight describe his experience with each sin, in which “Ex Infernis” and “Hate Cult Ritual” go together.

Regarding the sound of the album, each and every riff is equal parts heavy and brutal, blasting the ears unapologetically as the punchy pounding drums blare omnipresently in the background, reinforcing the evil feel of the album. The drums act as if they are the droning beat to which the cult ritual takes place in each song, and guitar stands at the forefront, like an echo from hell. Ultimately, the sonic quality of the album is a major player in demonstrating to the listener how truly awful and low Prisoner 666 and his posse are.

As for lead singer Phil Bozeman’s vocals, there is no need for any introduction. The harshness of his growls and the terror of his screams play in perfect harmony, like ritual chants projected by a hell-demon. This presence of sound is impossible to ignore and urges the listener to face Prisoner 666 head-on, as he goes about his maleficent tasks.

Furthermore, the use of breakdowns in the music, which rudely disrupt the flow of songs by slowing the tempo and making way for the most brutal screams, are key in depicting the horror of the acts being performed, as well as standing in as key signposts of the deathcore genre, confirming the return to the band’s roots.

Lyrically, the album is just as complex and frightening. The second and title track, for example, features one of the most deathly breakdown call-outs that one may ever hear: “Father, we’ve come to devour the eyes of God.” This upsetting of power-balance, as the speaker in the song places himself above God, is compounded as he seeks a “Reversal of the cycle of life itself / Back to the womb we shall terminate.” Prisoner 666’s aims are awful, and, as the album progresses to address the seven deadly sins, they become more clear.

“Diabolic Slumber,” which examines the sin of sloth, is particularly striking: “Salvation, be gone / Salvation, be forgot / The faithful now hateful as divinity drowns in its rot.” In this song, the Prisoner observes with glee as people cause their own destruction, in a rather sociopathic way, demonstrating the little-acknowledged, but scarily relevant human obsession with suffering. No one wants to have to address this side of themselves, though at the same time, no one can deny it.

The concluding track, “Nothing Is Coming for Any of Us,” which examines lust, is an especially interesting end to the album. Ultimately, the final of the seven deadly sins cannot be completed. Prisoner 666 has failed. The only real insight gained from the experience comes in a chilling revelation: “Cry out for God and beg for the end / No one can hear you scream, no one is coming for you / No one is coming for you / Nothing is real.”