Raleigh, NC, has a very active and strong metal community. Perhaps this factored into why Whitechapel chose to launch their 2025 Hymns In Dissonance Tour at The Ritz just outside of downtown Raleigh. On a beautiful evening when daylight savings time and an early show start time saw sunshine streaming through the front doors through both opening bands, Raleigh packed The Ritz for the opening night of an exceptional deathcore lineup.
Atlanta, Georgia-based Alluvial started the evening to a half-full audience who were able to leave work in time for the 6:30 PM show start. “Half-full” did not mean half-interested or half-energetic. The first crowd surfer happened before 6:45 PM and the first circle pit started before 7:00 PM, both very impressive statistics for an opening band. Vocalist Kevin Muller worked the audience hard, whipping them into action and raising the energy level in the room. Confident and well-rehearsed, Alluvial plays slightly before the beat, giving their sound an added boost of speed and lightness, similar to how Anthrax compares with Metallica. Alluvial performed an extremely entertaining and hard-hitting opening set, foreshadowing the evening to follow.
Phil Bozeman, vocalist for Whitechapel, would give props later in the evening for “perhaps the most metal band name ever” when referring to 200 Stab Wounds who took the stage second. 200 Stab Wounds has no brake pedal, they are gas pedal to the floor from start to finish of their set. The band refused to ease The Ritz into their set and instead chose to come on stage and immediately punch the audience square in the face. Opening with “Hands of Eternity” from their album Manual Manic Procedures, riff-heavy songs followed such as “Gross Abuse” and “Defiled Gestation” caused mass headbanging while the closing song “Tow Rope Around the Throat” exhausted the band with their non-stop full-body performances. Canadian-based Brand of Sacrifice took the stage in the supporting slot and was met with overwhelming applause. Vocalist Kyle Anderson bounded onto stage with his long dreads and wearing a black tactical vest which when combined with his powerful voice and intense stage presence, created a thoroughly intimidating stage persona. Opening with “Dawn” and into “Demon King” from their 2021 album Lifeblood, Brand of Sacrifice’s breakneck speed, precise timing, and creative use of backing tracks and effects, created a sound that honored traditional death metal while pushing the genre’s limits with a modern deathcore song structure and sound.The now completely full venue exploded to life, sending a continuous stream of crowd surfers that forced the photographers in the photo pit to be evacuated early out of safety concerns. Brand of Sacrifice was so aggressive, that the fight-or-flight instinct instinctually kicked in and the sky-high level of adrenaline in the room led to beautiful chaos. Brand of Sacrifice premiered a brand new, still unnamed song mid-set with the working name of “KTM.” When asked after their set when this new song may be released, Kyle Anderson said, “sometime in 2026.” Soon to be five years since their last full-length release, 2026 may be the year Brand of Sacrifice fans may finally see new music.
Deathcore juggernaut Whitechapel’s latest album, Hymns in Dissonance was released on March 7, almost two weeks prior to the tour start. The stage backdrop contained imagery suggestive of the album artwork and antler-horned mannequins stood guard at several points on stage. Completely surrounding the stage with lighting of every style, type, and color, Whitechapel has perhaps the best light show on tour today. Every song had its own color palette, motion, shape, and speed to match the ferocity and unique personality of each song. Visually and sonically captivating from the start, Whitechapel delivered a performance free from first-night jitters or flaws.Opening with the new song “Prisoner 666” followed by “Hymns in Dissonance,” Whitechapel prioritized music from their latest album throughout the set. Crowd favorites “A Bloodsoaked Symphony” and “Brimstone” came early in the set while “Our Endless War” and “The Saw Is the Law” closed the set before a one-song encore of “Doom Woods.” Whitechapel did not include any clean vocal songs or ballads such as “Anticure” from Kin in the setlist. Instead, the band chose to remain true to their roots with a punishing set of highly-polished, well produced deathcore that built their sweaty and screaming following over the years. A very humorous yet totally deserved mid-set audience chant of, “This is awesome” confirmed Whitechapel delivered what their fans hoped to experience.
The Hymns in Dissonance Tour continues through April 19, ending in Atlanta, GA. Several dates are sold out, however, deathcore fans who make the effort to find their way to a show cannot and will not be disappointed.WHITECHAPEL
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