Whitechapel
The Nile / Mesa, AZ
May 7, 2023
May 11, 2023
Whitechapel, Archspire, Signs of the Swarm, Entheos at The Nile, Mesa
(by Stephanie Green)
The night opened with Entheos, and if I’m telling the truth, I hadn’t heard of them until now. That being said, color me impressed. Lead vocalist, Chaney Crabb, may be small in stature, but her on-stage presence is larger than life. Her vocal delivery is emotionally laced with anger, pain, and determination. Behind her vocals, the band delivers its own brand of progressive death metal, clearly influenced by groove and funk. The groovy sounds are reminiscent of Meshuggah and Veil of Maya so if you’re into death metal that can make you move more than in the pit, definitely check them out.
Signs of the Swarm is next to take the stage and were already one of my favorite bands, so maybe I’m biased. But I’d rather be biased than disappointed and I was surely not disappointed. David Simonich is full of power, both physically and vocally. He easily dominates the stage and invigorates the crowd. The band’s true-to-deathcore sounds have heads banging, fists pumping, and circle pits erupting song after song. Bobby Crow’s ruthless blast beats paired with Carl Schultz’s punishing riffs and Michael Cassese’s thundering bass lines rank SOTS among the elite for getting your body moving, blood pumping, and head banging.
Archspire was flawless, plain, and simple. Their live performance translated their albums perfectly, allowing the crowd to keep time with the band, dog pile for sing-alongs, and surf the crowd. The string work, both guitar, and bass, is impeccably proficient and precise. Vocalist Oli Peters, rallies the crowd not only through his lyrics but his spirited antics on stage. Instigating the crowd with an impromptu game of Twister was one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen. The band’s hard-hitting music combined with their playful nature definitely sets them apart in the deathcore scene.
What can be said about Whitechapel that hasn’t already been said? Their live performance is perfect, flawless in every way. No frontman can work the crowd like Phil and he yet again proves that. Song to song, he changes the air in the venue, taking the crowd on an emotional journey through anger, pain, and loss. The band performed the entire album, The Valley, punctuated with fan expectations like The Saw is the Law and Possession. With a three-song encore, Whitechapel left fans wanting more. I can’t wait to hear and see what they do next.
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