Whitechapel has been blowing up the deathcore scene since their last hometown show with As I Lay Dying. But their most anticipated show of the year has to be their hometown charity show they’ve organized for 8 years now. Fans were so excited for this years event they completely sold out the show a month beforehand. A portion of ticket sales each year are donated to Young Williams Animal shelter and this year they raised a grand total of $5000 for the notable cause.
After hanging on to tickets for months, it was time for fans to rock out with Whitechapel in their hometown once again. I drove by the venue nearly 2 hours before the doors opened, and I could see there was already a line of anxious fans forming. By the time doors were set to open the line was fully wrapped around the building twice. As the number of attendees continued to grow, you could hear the buzz of excitement in the air. While waiting in line metalheads alike reminisced about Whitechapel shows past. Some chat about this being their first show in years and others lament that this is their last show of the year. Regardless, this was bound to be an unforgettable performance for everyone in attendance.
Up first was local band Sidious. Considering most of the concert-goers traveled to Knoxville for the show, many of them hadn’t heard of this local band. But that didn’t stop the crowd from having a hell of a good while they took the stage. They had everyone screaming along to songs they didn’t even know the words to. These dudes brought the perfect amount of energy to the stage and they definitely gave us some hardcore melodies to get the night started off on the right foot.
Up next was The Guild, a deathcore band that also yields from Knoxville. The 5-piece wasted no time hyping up the crowd. Their energy was infectious and in true metal fashion, a mosh pit was quickly formed. There’s no doubt that the crowd enjoyed every boisterous growl and note that these guys threw down. They poured their hearts into their performance and rightfully earned their spot on that stage.
Though the first 2 bands had already finished their set, people continued to file in to the the 8,000-square-foot venue. After a quick 30 minute rest from moshing, the lively crowd was ready to kick it up a notch with Signs of the Swarm. The band made the trip to east Tennessee for the charity show and so did their fans. These guys brought some throat-ripping deathcore melodies that ignited an even larger mosh pit to which the vocalist even took a chance stage diving into at the end of their set. The band put on an impressive performance and left everyone exhausted from headbanging along to every song.
At long last, the countdown was over. Whitechapel was moments away from stepping back onto the Mill and Mine after nearly 365 days. The stage is darkened and I can see the shadows of each member begin to form as the intro to Let Me Burn begins to play. The frontman belts out the first few lyrics, “the mouth of hell is open wide tonight”, the audience comes unglued and the crowd surfing ensues.
You can’t help but be in awe as the elite death metal band dominates the stage. Vocalist Phil Bozeman stuns with his growls and unbelievably clean vocals. Ben Savage, Alex Wade, and Zach Householder amaze as they shred on their guitars and interact with the crowd. Gabe Crisp works every part of the stage while impressively slapping away on the bass. Brandon Zackey was simply percussion perfection towering above the band on drums.
The 6-piece is not holding back tonight, As they move through the setlist the crowd becomes untamable. Even the security guards can’t hold back. They rock out with fans alike, all while safely catching and releasing the dozens of fans crowd surfing their way to the front of the stage.
The band played an eclectic compilation from their lengthy discography. They blazed through the 16 song setlist which included, This is Exile, Black Bear, Lost Boy, Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation, End of Flesh with Our Endless War rounding out the their set. But fans weren’t allowing a Whitechapel show to end without hearing Saw is the Law, and they began loudly protesting until they resurfaced for an encore. The night officially concluded with Bozeman thanking everyone for coming out, for supporting them and the charity and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and safe trip home.
Their performance overall was superb and felt so nostalgic. As a Knoxville native, I have been a Whitechapel fan for longer than I can remember and to see these guys evolve over the last 15 years has been incredible to witness. Their humble demeanor and professionalism shine on and off the stage. The anticipation of this show was well worth the wait. You couldn’t have asked for a better show to end the year with. After all, you’re supposed to spend the holidays with family and friends and this felt nothing short of a family affair.
