Whitechapel & Northlane / The Electric / Bristol
A barmy hot day in old Bristol Town, and I have the feeling it’s going to get way hotter later, as US Deathcore legends Whitechapel head to town on their co-headline tour with Northlane, fresh from their iconic set this weekend at Download Festival.
Tonight we’re at Electric Bristol (formerly SWX) to see tracks from their new album “Hymns in Dissonance” live for the first time.
First up on stage are local boys Profiler. The nu-metalcore band were formed in 2020, and they blend retro with the modern styles of the genre. And the local lads didn’t disappoint, delivering a powerhouse performance, packed with raw energy and with a slick delivery that belied their age. You may expect a hometown crowd to be up for it, but you’d think Profiler were headlining tonight, everyone up and shouting, people being drawn into the swirling mosh like moths to a flame. This was no warm up set, this smashed all expectations as they turned it up to eleven. Great to see them live again, and I’m so glad I got there early !
A quick, slick changeover and up next are the first of our co-headliners Northlane. Formed in 2009 in Blacktown in Australia, Northlane are Jon Deiley (guitar & programming), Josh Smith (guitar), Nic Pettersen (drums) and Marcus Bridge (vocals).
They released their debut album “Discoveries” in 2011, and their 6th and latest album “Obsidian” in 2022. Northlane are a band I’ve wanted to see for some time, and I wasn’t disappointed. It Profiler lined them all up ready…… Northlane smashed ‘em down !
They opened the set with the thunderous track Carbonized and as the heat grew and grew, the shirts were off, bodies were moving and the humidity was rising fast. Their style of metalcore is varied and I like that in the set, from the mountainous opener, Intuition was ‘groovier’ and as you’d expect all the fan favourites were there, including Talking Heads, Dante, Clarity and the explosive finale Clockwork. Throughout though, it remained powerful and relentless.
Northlane were on outstanding form. Marcus dressed in a heavy weave suit (god knows how on a night like this !) was pacing the stage constantly, up on the steps / monitor blocks and encouraging the crowd at every opportunity. Jon, instantly recognisable with a Jean-Claude Van Damme-like ‘Cyborg’ movie illuminated HUD by his eye. All were precise and showcased their talents, and above all else…. Their passion for their craft.
Northlane were well worth the wait. A greta live band, and one I’ll watch out for again !
Setlist
Carbonized
Intuition
Miasma
4D
Talking Heads
Bloodline
Dante
Echo Chamber
Clarity
Ra / Worldeater / Dispossession / Jinn
Solar (Remix)
Afterimage
Clockwork
This was a night for frequent trips to the bar for drinks with ice (I’m surprised they didn’t run out !) It was hot and sticky and The Electric was now packed full, ready and expectant for Whitechapel. I heard many talking about how good they had been at Download, and there was a sense of anticipation in the air……
Named after the infamous East London scene of Jack the Rippers crimes in the 19th century, Whitechapel are actually an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. They are Phil Bozeman (vocals), Ben Savage (guitar), Alex Wade (guitar), Gabe Crisp (bass), Zach Householder (guitar) and Brandon Zackey (drums).
Whitechapel released their debut album “The Somatic Defilement” in 2007, and their 9th and latest album “Hymns in Dissonance” earlier this year.
The lights dropped, the smoke billowed out and the cheers hurt our ears, as Whitechapel walked out in the gloom and took their places on stage. Right from the frist notes of Prison 666 one thing was clear…. This going to be no easy ride ! They weren’t here to play – oh no…. they were here to destroy. I absolutely LOVED the next one, the title track form the new album Hymns in Dissonance. The new album is a beast, and nothing sums it up better than this one, the vocals are as deep and extreme as you can get and the dark atmosphere emanates from the stage.
The drums punched at your chest and with three guitars, the wall of noise they created was intense, and all this set the backdrop for the brutally harsh, growling vocals from Bozeman. And with favourites like Brimstone, Forgiveness Is Weakness, and A Visceral Retch ripping into us, the crowd were in a frenzy. The crowd surfers were up and over the barrier keeping security on their toes and a swirling mass of humanity raced round the middle of the room. Whitechapel owned the Electric for the night…
As Ex Infernis ends, the fog seems to thickened, and strobe lighting cuts through the. Ist and gloom like a knife. The crowd knew what was coming and roared as Bozeman emerged onto the stage again, holding the haunting mask from the album cover, before pulling it on and roaring, arms outstretched. The crowd roared back. It felt like a watershed moment, like what had come before was just kidding around, now the dark, haunting and visceral real show begins.
And we weren’t disappointed, what followed was a blistering and merciless sprint through Hate Cult Ritual, Possession, the iconic This Is Exile, and the fittingly brutal closer The Saw Is the Law.
The place was by this point a furnace, the air was damp and humid and you could see water droplets on the walls. Everyone was breathing heavy, trying to catch a breathe and recover from what they had just experienced.
Whitechapel were sensational, it was raw, visceral, powerful and downright brutal at times, just the way it should be ! It was a great line up, Northline and Profiler were great too and the Bristol crowd gave them all, every last drop of energy they had.
Setlist
Prisoner 666
Hymns in Dissonance
Brimstone
A Bloodsoaked Symphony
Forgiveness Is Weakness
I, Dementia
A Visceral Retch
Ex Infernis
Hate Cult Ritual
Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation
Possession
This Is Exile
Diabolic Slumber
Our Endless War
The Saw Is the Law
