Do I like grinding death metal? Does a bear wear a funny hat?

Whitechapel is one of the latest offerings (as in offering to a darker more malevolent deity) from Candlelight. Taking their name for the infamous location in London were Jack the Ripper made his, ahem, mark, Whitechapel offer a pleasing slice of death metal and grind.

They also twist the style a little adding some hardcore like barks before they blastfest arrives in the title track. Before you get the wrong idea, we're not talking metal core here. The title track ends with a swelling of orchestral synths adding a dream (or nightmare)-like quality to the song.

Don't worry, the blast returns. The entertainingly titled 'Devirgination Studies' starts blasting then begins to slow to pummel before the real punishment. On a side note, I am thoroughly amused by death metal band song titles and 'Devirgination Studies' is truly a classic in this sense.

'Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation' is a fairly straight forward death metal song until its breakdown. While it is fairly strait forward, it is most assuredly not a boring song. It delivers the goods on many levels. 'Fairy Fay' comes in and cleans up where PFA leaves off. This is quite a destructive song with some excellent stomping sludge grind. This song will appeal to all death metal fans out there.

My favorite song, 'Ear to Ear' carries the devastation with the sludgy razor sharp riffs and the mix of gurgled vocals with the screechier vocals. There is also a Slayeresque presence in the song with its martial stomping and use of the high hat. Whitechapel certainly deliver with their cutthroat grinding death metal on this release. The evidence, sort of like what you may find at a rime scene, is plainly exhibited on 'Alone In the Morgue'. This song mixes blast with slow coiling grind that tramples as it suffocates - think of an anaconda with eight elephant feet deciding to stampede on your head.

Bugs and ghouls, this is a new age for death metal. The Masters have laid the groundwork. The students are taking up the banners and moving the style forward in some most remarkable ways. Whitechapel is no exception.

I think dear old Jack is smiling in Hell.