“The Valley” is easily Whitechapel’s best album since “This is Exile”.
I like music to have some kind of tangibility when it comes to emotion, which is something a lot of bands today lack; But god damn there are songs on “The Valley” that brought me close to a few manly tears. Phil’s singing parts are fucking excellent. It sounds dead on like Maynard James Keenan, but better.
They managed to throw in call backs to their first album on a few tracks. See “Forgiveness is Weakness” and “Brimstone”.
But then they switch the game up entirely and give us emotional rollercoaster songs, almost completely without screams, that manage to hit you in the gut in just the right way. See “Third Depth” and “Hickory Creek”.
Then the song that combines both perfectly. “When A Demon Defiles a Witch” is my favorite whitechapel song fucking ever. Out of all seven albums this one gets me the most. Nasty verses with an infectious chorus and clean section that hits with a killer solo. Sweet fucking Christmas.
But the best part of this album, and why I urge people to listen to it… It’s an overarching correlation, with each song in one way or another relating to the death of Phil Bozeman’s mother.
There’s a sense of comfort and relatability when listening to some of these songs. Having gone through the loss of loved ones several times over the past few years, some of these tracks are very helpful. Also as a lyricist, I can attest that these feelings are very hard to write to about. Emotional pain is difficult to put into words sometimes, and credit to Phil Bozeman. He put it all on this album.
I’m Steven Jeffries and I’ll see you, soon.
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Songs: When A Demon Defiles a Witch / Forgiveness is Weakness / Third Depth
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