American deathcore band Whitechapel has shared a music video for “Hate Cult Ritual,” from its new album, “Hymns in Dissonance,” out now on Metal Blade Records.
“We attempted to write our heaviest album to date,” guitarist Alex Wade said. “We wanted to put out something that was shockingly menacing and brutal.”
Longtime fans will detect hints of the past within the brutality. To wit: The riff-tastic “Hate Cult Ritual” is the only song on the album with Drop A tuning, the tuning the first three Whitechapel albums used. Additionally, “Hymns in Dissonance” finds vocalist Phil Bozeman living through his “past times,” or as he states, “the music that brought me here. Brutal, dark, aggressive, heavy music. Death metal, black metal, speed metal, etc. I truly believe that your roots call you back at some point in your life and this is that point in my life.”
The band’s dynamic and vicious musicality serves as a soundtrack to Bozeman’s lyrical story.
“’Hymns in Dissonance’ is a mockery of the true nature of what hymns are,” Bozeman said. “Hymns are melodious and harmonious. Dissonance is the opposite of melody and harmony. Dissonance represents evil. The tracks on the record are the hymns, which represent the seven deadly sins, beginning from track three to track ten. Tracks one and two are the introduction.”
Of “Hate Cult Ritual,” Bozeman said, “The sin of wrath: This song portrays the overwhelming rage of the cult. Planting the seed of evil within the core of the earth to be birthed from soil. All the rivers and oceans are diseased which nourishes their unborn lord, roaming the earth and murdering all opposers.”
“I was inspired a lot by Bloodbath when writing this one and felt like Phil nailed the vibe vocally contributing to that,” Wade said. “There is a ferocity and evilness to this track that I think really sets it apart from the rest. No breakdowns, just pummeling riffs with evil chanting over the choruses.”
“Hymns in Dissonance” features cover art by European tattoo artist Rob Borbas (Grind Design) and is available on CD and digital formats, as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
- Eviscerate – Orange/Yellow Marbled (US)
- Eternal Eclipse – Black + White Marbled (US)
- Mangled Innards – Red Smoke (US)
- Visceral Retch – Iridescent Green (US)
- Infested Soul – Neon Green Yellow Marble (US Band Exclusive)
- Red w/ Black Smoke (Tour Exclusive)
- 180g Black (EU)
- Crimson Red w/ Black Swirls (EU)
- Beige Brown Marbled (EU – Ltd. 500)
- Golden Dawn Marbled (EU – Ltd. 500)
- Bone White Splatter (EU – Ltd. 500)
- Clear With Black, Red + Gold Splatter (EU – Ltd. 300)
- Scarlet Red w/ Cloudy Black Splatter (EU – Ltd. 200)
- Scarlet Red + Bone White “Melt” (UK – Ltd. 300)
For orders, visit https://lnk.to/HymnsInDissonance. Find merch bundles and band exclusive vinyl at whitechapel.merchnow.com.
Whitechapel soon will return to North American stages on a month-long headlining tour. The Hymns in Dissonance Tour will commence March 18 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and run through April 19 in Atlanta, Georgia. Support will be provided by Brand of Sacrifice, 200 Stab Wounds and Alluvial. Find VIP upgrades at tix.soundrink.com/tours/whitechapel.
Tour dates:
3/18/2025 The Ritz – Raleigh, NC
3/19/2025 Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
3/20/2025 Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
3/21/2025 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
3/22/2025 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
3/24/2025 L’Olympia – Montreal, QC
3/25/2025 Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
3/26/2025 Saint Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI
3/28/2025 House Of Blues – Chicago, IL
3/29/2025 Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
3/30/2025 Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NE
4/01/2025 Summit – Denver, CO
4/02/2025 The Grand @ The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
4/04/2025 The Palace Theatre – Calgary, AB\
4/05/2025 Union Hall – Edmonton, AB
4/07/2025 The Pearl – Vancouver, BC\
4/08/2025 Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
4/09/2025 The Showbox – Seattle, WA
4/11/2025 Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
4/12/2025 The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
4/13/2025 The Rialto – Tucson, AZ
4/15/2025 The Studio @ The Factory – Dallas, TX
4/16/2025 Aztec Theatre – San Antonio, TX
4/18/2025 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
4/19/2025 The Masquerade (Heaven) – Atlanta, GA
