RAGINPIT MAGAZINE

Following in the wake of new age death metal bands like Suffocation and Dying Fetus who began utilizing intense breakdowns, deathcore, a sub genre of death metal, is quickly becoming a new mainstay for newer metal fans looking for intense brutality on the darker side of things and yet still want that groove. Whitechapel hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee are pushing the envelope with a very interesting twist using a three guitar attack in such a way that defies all other like bands I have seen and heard before. Most I have come across tend to go completely mud in tone and bore me to hell and back. I put aside all prejudices thinking back on this fact and decided to give them a spin. What I found was well layered guitars and bass that will choke you to death and kick your ass to the floor.

Whitechapel is a band to be reckoned with and prove that with their latest release and debut from Metal Blade Records This is Exile. I got a chance to learn more about Whitechapel and recently interviewed Alex Wade, one of the three axe men. They are currently touring through supporting the Summer Slaughter Tour '08, an interesting line up of bands both deathcore and old school death metal. I wanted to know more about the success of the tour and how they make all three of those guitars work.

Hi Alex, how ya doin?

Alex: I'm doin' pretty good man, how about yourself?

Not too bad, I have a friend of mine who was just talking about the Slummer Slaughter Tour in Fresno, how's that going?

Alex: It's going really good man. We're having a lot of fun and there's a lot of killer bands on it. We have like 2 more days left in CA this week.

For all my listeners who aren't familiar the name of the band I am interviewing right now is Whitechapel. You guys are from Knoxville, TN, correct?

Alex: Yes, sir.

What's the metal scene like in TN? I wasn't aware there was really much of a scene in that area.

Alex: It's pretty good. It's not as good as some areas, but it's definitely been getting better over the last couple of years. I guess with the resurrection, you could say, of death metal or whatever and the more popular it's been getting, it's been getting a lot better than it has been in the last couple of years.

Alex Wade of White Chapel Guitarist

Nice, I would like to get people more familiar with who you are. Can you give us a brief history of the band?

Alex: Yeah, we started about 2 and a half years ago. The line up was me, Derek, Gabe, Ben, Phil and Brandon. Then a couple months after that we were playing local shows and then we got rid of Derek and got Kevin to join the band. Then after that about 2 weeks before we were to start our US tour, our guitarist Brandon got into a motorcycle accident and while he's okay he sustained some injuries that did not allow him to play guitar anymore so we had to get a replacement for him. We got one of our friends from back home named Zach to fill in for him and we eventually received word that Brandon's arm wouldn't heal back to the way it should in order for him to play guitar so Zach became a permanent member and that's the line up as it is today.

I think it's interesting just speaking of the line up itself. You have a 3 guitar attack going on there. I've seen a few different bands who have used 3 different guitars on stage and one of the biggest problems is that they've either always ended up mudding out and losing definition or they just couldn't pull it together trying to use variations on the guitar. How does that work for you guys?

Alex: It's funny, most bands they don't really have 3 guitars. For us there were 3 guitarists that were interested in the position and we were all friends so it was kind of hard to tell one of them they couldn't be in the band. It was a little muddy because we were tuning so low, but it was something that we determined we could work with. Over the years we've learned how to develop it and use it for our sound and I think that's what makes us unique as Whitechapel. I think it really works well in a lot of aspects because we can do a lot of harmonies and rhythm parts that bands with 2 guitars can't do and it helps create a massive wall of sound. So I think it works out really well for us. It is a little bit harder. Sometimes 2 guitar players have to fight over a monitor and which one is louder. The stage room - it's just one more person up there so it's not that difficult.

I noticed the band was a year old before you were signed to Metal Blade records. I thought that was pretty bad ass, that's not something you hear about everyday. How long were you in the studio before you were setting up shows and touring around?

Alex: We got signed last October with Metal Blade and we've been a band for probably a little under two years before we got signed by Metal Blade.

Do you feel like you've come together and have gotten really fluid as a unit now?

Alex: Yeah, I think ever since we've talked with Metal Blade we've become more serious on the professional aspect. We've made this band our careers. We have a lot of room to grow, but I think we are definitely headed on the right track.

Didn't you get your start with Siege of Amida records? How did that go?

Alex: It's a UK label that's distributed in the US through Candlelight. When they signed us, we were young, it was before Kevin was even in the band. We were just excited to be signed. They are a good label and they were a really good stepping stone for us, but once we got the offer from Metal Blade we thought it was definitely time for us to step it up within the music business for our careers.

You guys have a very DIY attitude. Now that you are with Metal Blade, do you still carry that same work ethic? Are you working just as hard now as you were before?

Alex: Oh yeah, definitely. We're definitely still a very hard working band. Ever since we got bigger, we've stepped it up and brought in people to help out. We've picked up a manager to help us coordinate things better. Signing to Metal Blade helped us out with our release and future releases.

Whitechapel This is Exile

Speaking of release - This is Exile. I was looking at your blogs at the time you were announcing that you were going into the studio and then reading the date on the blog that stated when you were coming out of the studio. Am I right by stating that you only had about two months in the studio to write that?

Alex: Yeah, well we actually wrote it before we went in the studio. We wrote for two months and then we went in the studio and recorded the CD in like three weeks.

Having only two months, do you think that was enough time?

Alex: Yeah. I don't think it would have have hurt to spend a little more time on it, but I am definitely happy with the release. I think it's solid and now that it's done I don't think there is anything I would really change on it.

How would you describe This is Exile to your friends?

Alex: I would say that it is definitely something new coming from Whitechapel, but it still retains the old elements that our older fans love. There are still plenty of breakdowns on the CD. At the same time the writing style is a lot more mature and something our older fans will definitely get into. It's just a different style that will gain new fans and still please our older fans.

You have a pretty heavy tour schedule, you have a few days left on Summer Slaughter tour, then you're going off to the Canadian tour after that. For your headlining tour, what other bands can we expect to see on that?

Alex: The headlining tour is going to be us, Through the Eyes of the Dead is direct support, then our good friends in Impending Doom and a Different Breed of Killer.

Nice line up, I am definitely looking forward to that one. Here was a question that was brought up by a few of my fans. It seems like the biggest issue right now is the economy and gas prices. Do you think that is seriously affecting your tours now?

Alex: Right now I don't think it hurt us bad enough to where it's made any big damage. We definitely can tell the difference where it used to be $70 to fill up our tank where now it costs $100. It is hurting us, but it's not hurting us to the point where we have to stop touring and hopefully it will be awhile before it gets to the point. Hopefully it never gets to that point.

Yeah definitely, I think this is another one of those times where we have to be a little bit more creative. I thought this was a good question that came up also. Laptops - how important are they on the road?

Alex: Very very important, all of us, but one has one. Sometimes you don't have cell phones in an area, but you'll have wireless internet. It's a good way to receive documents from labels or managers so it's a very essential tool for the road.

If you could list a quick survival kit for a musician on the road what would it be?

Alex: Toiletries for sure, you gotta use that few and far between. Shampoo, toothbrush and tooth paste are very essential. You gotta bring clean socks and clean underwear because you're getting sweaty every night and those things stay on your feet. You could get athlete's foot and all that kind of gross stuff. Bring clean shirts because again you are sweating every night and you gotta change into dry clothes and stuff like that. A sleeping bag and pillow so you can sleep at people's houses when they invite you to stay.

I think friend networks are very important. Where was the most bitchin' place you've played so far?

Alex: I'd say probably Anaheim, CA and... I can't think of the city right now, but pretty much anywhere in California or anywhere in New York are always a bang because up in the NE they really don't care, they just beat the crap out of each other.

Summer Slaughter Tour

Tours like the Summer Slaughter tour to where it has a mix up between traditional death metal and death core style bands - do you think these tours are helping with that divide with death metal shifting into a new form?

Alex: It's getting the same kids that are coming out for the deathcore bands and getting the same kids into traditional death metal where it all came from and it's introducing the old school death metal heads into the new wave and new generation of death metal that's coming through right now so yeah I think it works pretty well.

People tend to take their metal pretty serious. I think in that genre with any kind of change or what not is probably a little bit more difficult. There are a lot of elitist in death metal who are very particular about things it seems like. A little more so than other genres.

Alex: Oh yeah, there's been a couple of nights where some Vader fans are up front telling us to get off the stage because of our breakdowns, but whatever we still play, we keep going.

I don't know, me personally, I've seen Chuck Schuldner play at the Omni in SF (198*), so I go back into some pretty deep traditional death metal and my opinion as far as the new stuff goes compared to the old stuff, I'm still a fan of both. I like them both for different reasons.

Two more questions here - one is what are you listening to lately?

Alex: Lately I've been listening to the new Misery Signal - Controller, the production and the writing and everything on that CD is phenomenal. The new From a 2nd Story Window is amazing too. It's really unique especially because they used to be deathcore and they are now going for a more rock vibe. And it's been out for awhile, but the new Meshuggah - its a great record.

Oh, I've got it, I've been playing that CD to death, I'm definitely a big Meshuggah fan. I kind of hear sometimes that Meshuggah influence in your music.

Alex: Yeah, yeah, for sure. We have our death metal influences, but at the same time we are also into some more modern metal like Meshuggah and Fear Factory.

Now your talking!

OK last question here and it may be a bit tricky, if you could describe a Whitechapel show in 3 words what would they be?

Alex: Oh wow, it would be powerful, intense, and heavy.

I would agree, definitely. Well Alex I would like to thank you very much for the opportunity for this interview. Because of this interview I've been listening to you a lot over the last couple of months and I think you can consider me a new fan, you are really brutal and I look forward to seeing you come blasting through again in Cali.

Alex: Alright man, I had a really great time doing the interview.

This is Exile is nothing less than intense. Whitechapel, Job for a Cowboy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cryptopsy are proving deathcore isn't going anywhere. Personally I'm becoming a fan. I do think like many new styles deathcore is a bit saturated with many run of the mill bands all jumping on the the proverbial "bandwagon", but as long as bands such as I have already listed keep the faith, metal has a new addition worthy to note and has become a new metal force to be recognized.