An album review is a great way to experiment with writing in a genre that might not be familiar. Most reviews seem to answer the burning question, “Does the product achieve its goal and/or meet expectations of the audience/consumer?” Reviews can be approached in a variety of ways, however a few main points remain consistent among “good” and “helpful” reviews. These points are: descriptions of the product (utilize expressive and descriptive writing here), a personal experience with the product (appeal to pathos here), offer a justification of praise or discontent “why is it good/bad?” (utilize argumentative writing here), and finally ending with a recommendation for or against the product.
I’ve decided to explore album reviews as a way to promote descriptive writing, expressive writing, and argumentative writing all in one place. Students can hone these skills by applying them to music that they enjoy or are interested in.
To model this, I have decided to take a look at the album that I have been listening to the most the past few weeks.
THE VALLEY – WHITECHAPEL
Tennessee metal act Whitechapel released their newest album this March (2019). This album is the band’s seventh full length release. It is a new direction for the band, implementing new sounds to the already distinctive Whitechapel sound. The pioneers of the modern deathcore sound incorporate more mid tempo grooves and ambient breaks. All of the songs retain that signature sound Whitechapel have created, while many tracks expand and push the band in a new musical direction. The opening track “When A Demon Defiles a Witch” provides the listener with a sense of the new direction in the chorus and bridge where vocalist Phil Bozeman shows of an impressive delivery of clean but emotional vocals. The clean vocals paired with an ambient but heavy instrumental create a very cinematic listening experience. The songs “Forgiveness is Weakness”, “We Are One”, and “The Other Side” showcase the original hard hitting deathcore sound Whitechapel have perfected. Songs like “Brimstone” and “Black Bear” provide hard-hitting and groovy mid tempo riffs and slow breakdowns reminiscent of the bands more recent albums. The most different song on the album is the song “Hickory Creek.” In this track Phil, for the first time, uses exclusively clean vocals. This track breeds a much more Hard Rock style. Overall, the album feels very complete. From beginning to end the album showcases the bands growing musicianship. I have connected to this album as a whole more than any other Whitechapel release. I very much appreciate the experimentation done on this album. The lyrics stand out the most for me. The lyrics are beautifully written and are inspired by true events throughout Phil’s childhood. The raw emotion seeps out of this album from beginning to end. I recommend this album not only to fans of the band but also to fans of metal in general. This album could be a good gateway for fans of the genre to be introduced to Whitechapel. 5/5 stars.
Writing With Music 