The Valley (Whitechapel album)

Last updated

The Valley
Whitechapel-TheValley.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 29, 2019
Recorded2018
Genre
Length40:33
Label Metal Blade
Producer Mark Lewis
Whitechapel chronology
Mark of the Blade
(2016)
The Valley
(2019)
Kin
(2021)
Singles from The Valley
  1. "Brimstone"
    Released: November 1, 2018
  2. "Black Bear"
    Released: December 13, 2018
  3. "Third Depth"
    Released: January 15, 2019
  4. "When a Demon Defiles a Witch"
    Released: February 20, 2019
  5. "Hickory Creek"
    Released: March 21, 2019
  6. "Doom Woods"
    Released: June 25, 2020

The Valley is the seventh studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. It was released through Metal Blade Records on March 29, 2019 to very positive reviews. [4] [5] [6] [7] On April 14, 2020, an acoustic version of "Hickory Creek" was released. It marks the first Whitechapel song to include entirely clean vocals.

Contents

Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019. [8]

Composition

The Valley is a concept album based on vocalist and writer Phil Bozeman's childhood; the title is a reference to Hardin Valley, Tennessee, where Bozeman grew up. [9] His father, Michael Gary Bozeman, passed away in 1995 [10] when Phil was ten, [11] while his mother struggled with alcoholism and schizophrenia; [12] "When a Demon Defiles a Witch" is an interpretation of one of her visions she wrote down in a journal entry. [13] She eventually remarried, but Bozeman's step-father turned out to be abusive towards both of them: Bozeman has called him a "predator" [14] and holds him responsible for introducing his mother to crack cocaine, [10] which lead to her eventual death [11] via drug overdose. [15] [10]

The band's follow-up album, Kin , continues the story. [16]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Consequence of Sound B+ [4]
Exclaim! 9/10 [5]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
MetalSucks Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [7]
Metal Injection9/10 [9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."When a Demon Defiles a Witch"5:04
2."Forgiveness Is Weakness"2:55
3."Brimstone"3:25
4."Hickory Creek"4:56
5."Black Bear"3:08
6."We Are One"3:58
7."The Other Side"3:17
8."Third Depth"4:07
9."Lovelace"3:48
10."Doom Woods"5:51
Total length:40:33
Deluxe and vinyl bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Sea of Trees"2:29
Total length:42:58

Personnel

Whitechapel
Additional musicians
Production
Artwork and design

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA) [17] 15
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [18] 36
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 27
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [20] 46
US Billboard 200 [21] 143
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [22] 7
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [23] 26

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Untitled Rammstein album</span> 2019 studio album by Rammstein

The untitled seventh studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, titled Rammstein on digital platforms and on CD-Text enabled devices, was released on 17 May 2019 through Universal Music. Their first studio album in ten years, it is their first not to be produced by Jacob Hellner; it was instead produced by Emigrate guitarist Olsen Involtini, who also serves as Rammstein's live sound engineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitechapel (band)</span> American deathcore band

Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The band is named after the Whitechapel district in East London, England, where Jack the Ripper committed a series of murders. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, lead guitarist Ben Savage, rhythm guitarist Alex Wade, bassist Gabe Crisp and third guitarist Zach Householder. Founded in 2006 by Bozeman and Savage, the band has released eight studio albums and fourteen music videos, and it's currently signed to Metal Blade Records. Whitechapel's 2010 album A New Era of Corruption, sold around 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at position No. 43 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band's self-titled fourth album was released in 2012 and debuted at No. 47 on the Billboard 200, selling roughly 9,200 copies in its first week. In 2014 the band released their fifth full-length album, Our Endless War to generally positive reviews. The album sold roughly 16,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. They released their sixth full-length album Mark of the Blade in 2016 to greater critical acclaim, selling roughly 8,000 copies in the first week of its release. In 2019, Whitechapel released their seventh album, The Valley, which debuted at No. 143 on the Billboard 200 also to critical acclaim. Their newest album, Kin, was released on October 29, 2021.

<i>Whitechapel</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Whitechapel

Whitechapel is the fourth studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. It was released worldwide on June 19, 2012, through Metal Blade Records. This is the first album to feature drummer Ben Harclerode. The album cover is an image of the Flag of Tennessee inside of the band's trademark saw blade.

<i>Our Endless War</i> 2014 studio album by Whitechapel

Our Endless War is the fifth studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. The album was released on April 29, 2014, via Metal Blade.

<i>Silence in the Snow</i> 2015 studio album by Trivium

Silence in the Snow is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released on October 2, 2015, through Roadrunner Records. It is the first and only album to feature third drummer Mat Madiro, who joined the band in May 2014 and before he had departed from the band in December 2015. It is the band's only album to date to not feature any harsh vocals. Michael "Elvis" Baskette was hired as the producer whom the band had met while recording In Waves album back in 2011.

<i>Mark of the Blade</i> 2016 studio album by Whitechapel

Mark of the Blade is the sixth studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. It was released through Metal Blade Records on June 24, 2016 to mostly positive critical reception. It is the first Whitechapel album to feature lead vocalist Phil Bozeman performing clean vocals on an album, on the songs "Bring Me Home" and "Decennium", and it is the last album to feature drummer Ben Harclerode. A music video for the track "Elitist Ones" was released on June 24, 2016.

<i>The Stage</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Avenged Sevenfold

The Stage is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. It was released on October 28, 2016, through Capitol Records, their only release through the label. It is the first Avenged Sevenfold album to feature drummer Brooks Wackerman, who joined the band in late 2014 but was not revealed as Arin Ilejay's official replacement until Ilejay's departure in 2015, because the band wanted to "make sure that it was a correct fit".

<i>Gravity</i> (Bullet for My Valentine album) 2018 studio album by Bullet for My Valentine

Gravity is the sixth studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 29 June 2018 via Spinefarm Records, their first album under the label. It is the first album with former Pitchshifter drummer Jason Bowld, who joined in 2016 to replace founding drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas. It is also the first album to feature bassist Jamie Mathias as a contributing member. Gravity represents a significant change in sound compared to the band's previous releases, moving toward the nu metal sound similar to their early years as "Jeff Killed John".

<i>I Loved You at Your Darkest</i> 2018 studio album by Behemoth

I Loved You at Your Darkest is the eleventh studio album by Polish extreme metal band Behemoth, released on 5 October 2018.

<i>Amo</i> (Bring Me the Horizon album) 2019 studio album by Bring Me the Horizon

Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Originally scheduled for release on 11 January 2019, it was released on 25 January 2019. The album was announced on 22 August 2018, a day after the release of the lead single "Mantra". It was produced by vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, and was written and recorded primarily in Los Angeles.

<i>Feral Roots</i> 2019 studio album by Rival Sons

Feral Roots is the sixth studio album by American rock band Rival Sons. It was released on January 25, 2019, through Low Country Sound and Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album since Hollow Bones (2016), and their first release on Atlantic Records. It was preceded by the lead single "Do Your Worst", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in March 2019.

<i>Trauma</i> (I Prevail album) 2019 studio album by I Prevail

Trauma is the second studio album by American rock band I Prevail, released on March 29, 2019. The album was the fourth best-selling album of the week in the US upon release, and its second single, "Breaking Down", hit the top 10 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in May 2019. Two Grammy nominations were received in relation to the album: Trauma received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, while the song "Bow Down" received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

<i>Outstrider</i> 2019 studio album by Abbath

Outstrider is the second studio album by Norwegian black metal band Abbath. It was released on 5 July 2019 through Season of Mist. Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019.

<i>Welcome Home</i> (Hellyeah album) 2019 studio album by Hellyeah

Welcome Home is the sixth and final studio album by American heavy metal band Hellyeah. It was released on September 27, 2019, and is the last album to feature drummer and founding member Vinnie Paul following his death on June 22, 2018. Welcome Home was also the last album Hellyeah released before going on hiatus in 2021.

<i>Atonement</i> (Killswitch Engage album) 2019 studio album by Killswitch Engage

Atonement is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage, released through Metal Blade Records on August 16, 2019. Lead single "Unleashed" was released on June 25, and followed by "I Am Broken Too" in July which would later follow up with a music video in August, as well as "The Signal Fire" shortly before the album's release. The band began a co-headlining tour of North America with Clutch in promotion of the album in July.

"Cold" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. It was released as a promotional single from their thirteenth studio album The Nothing.

<i>Death by Rock and Roll</i> 2021 album by the Pretty Reckless

Death by Rock and Roll is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Pretty Reckless, released on February 12, 2021. It is the band's first album released with their new label, Fearless Records, and is also the band's first album since the death of their long-time producer, Kato Khandwala in 2018. The album was produced by Jonathan Wyman, vocalist Taylor Momsen, and guitarist Ben Phillips, along with additional production done by Nate Yacchichino. The album was preceded by two singles: "Death by Rock and Roll" and "And So It Went" featuring Tom Morello. There were also two promotional singles released prior to the album: "Broomsticks" and "25".

<i>Kin</i> (Whitechapel album) 2021 studio album by Whitechapel

Kin is the eighth studio album by American deathcore band Whitechapel. It was released on October 29, 2021 through Metal Blade Records. The album was produced by Mark Lewis.

<i>Impera</i> 2022 studio album by Ghost

Impera is the fifth studio album by the Swedish rock band Ghost. Released on 11 March 2022, it was produced by Klas Åhlund who also produced the band's 2015 album, Meliora. The release of Impera was preceded by three singles: the first, "Hunter's Moon", was released on 30 September 2021 in support of the 2021 slasher film Halloween Kills with a version being a part of the film's closing credits; the second single, "Call Me Little Sunshine", was released on 20 January 2022 and the third, "Twenties", was released on 2 March 2022.

<i>The End, So Far</i> 2022 studio album by Slipknot

The End, So Far is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on September 30, 2022, through Roadrunner Records. This is the band's final album to be released through Roadrunner, whom the band signed with in 1998. It is the first studio album to feature percussionist Michael Pfaff, who joined the band in 2019 and is their final studio album to feature sampler and keyboardist Craig Jones and drummer Jay Weinberg before their respective departures in June and November 2023.

References

  1. "Album Review: Whitechapel Reach the Peak of the Mountain with The Valley". MetalSucks. March 12, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  2. Jurek, Thom. "Whitechapel The Valley". AllMusic . Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  3. "Whitechapel: THE VALLEY". Heavy Mag.
  4. 1 2 Michael Pementel (March 28, 2019). "Whitechapel – The Valley | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Joe Smith-Engelhardt (March 28, 2019). "Whitechapel - The Valley - Exclaim!". Exclaim! . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Dan Slessor (March 28, 2019). "Album Review: Whitechapel – The Valley — Kerrang!". Kerrang! . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Phil Boozeman (March 12, 2019). "Whitechapel Reach the Peak of the Mountain with The Valley". MetalSucks . Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  8. "The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2019". Loudwire . Townsquare Media. December 3, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Sol (April 10, 2019). "Album Review: WHITECHAPEL The Valley". Metal Injection. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 "Whitechapel's Phil Bozeman: My Life Story". Revolver. October 25, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Sievers, Alex. "Album Review: Whitechapel - 'The Valley' | KillYourStereo | Australian and International Punk, Hardcore, Metal, Rock and Indie Music News, Reviews, Interviews and Comps". killyourstereo.com.
  12. Kaufman, Spencer (March 29, 2019). "Whitechapel's Phil Bozeman on New Album The Valley and Opening Up About His Childhood".
  13. "The True Story Behind Whitechapel's Chilling New Album Opener". Kerrang!.
  14. "WHITECHAPEL | New Album "The Valley" [INTERVIEW]" via www.youtube.com.
  15. Padmore, Billy (March 28, 2019). "Hardbeat - Unleashing The Underground - Album Review: Whitechapel – The Valley". Hardbeat - Unleashing The Underground.
  16. "Whitechapel - Kin - Art Analysis with Ben Savage" via www.youtube.com.
  17. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  18. "Austriancharts.at – Whitechapel – The Valley" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Whitechapel – The Valley" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  20. "Swisscharts.com – Whitechapel – The Valley". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  21. "Whitechapel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  22. "Whitechapel Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  23. "Whitechapel Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2019.