On May 13, 2023 Whitechapel finished out their Playing the Valley in Full tour at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, Tennessee. Support for this tour included Entheos, Archspire, and Signs of the Swarm. With Whitechapel being a Tennessee based band, music city was ready to represent one of our own, and the night was sure to be a great time.
Starting off the night strong was Entheos, formed in 2015 out of Santa Cruz, California this band immediately set the mood for what was in store. Female vocalist, Chaney Crabb, provided fans with a show they will not soon forget. As Crabb entered the stage, you immediately see her fun, bubbly personality come to light, but the screams and growls that she produced are out of this world. Although some fans had never heard of this new up and coming band, its safe to say they made several new ones that night. During their six song set they performed “Remember You Are Dust,” “Absolute Zero,” “In Purgatory,” and closed out the night with fan favorite “The Sinking Sun.” Entheos closed out their set with thanking the fans, and Whitechapel for allowing them to be there, before stepping off the stage for the final time of this tour.
Next up of the night was deathcore band Signs of the Swarm, these guys absolutely understood the assignment, and were there to put on a show. Formed in 2014, out of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, they have currently released four studio albums, the most recent in 2021. As you look around the venue, you could see fans in complete shock as vocalist David Simonich, demanded circle pits, moshing, and crowd surfing. Not only did multiple fans surf across the crowd that night, they also were jumping, clapping, and chanting nearly the entire set. This 5 piece band provided flawless breakdowns, ear piercing screams, and insane riffs, which is all we really need at a heavy metal concert, right? Although they only got to perform six songs including “Unbridled,” “Nameless” and “Death Whistle,” this band has only just begun, and we will absolutely see them in the near future.
Next up was death metal band Archspire. Located in Vancover, Canada this five piece band formed back in 2007. During their 8 song set, they not only performed their hearts out, they also decided to play a popular game. Mid song, vocalist Oli Peters, announced that he wanted the venue to split in half, suddenly he began saying “right hand red, left hand yellow.” Instantly someone threw a Twister mat on the ground, and fans began participating in the popular kids game, before the game could really get started, Peters stated ” On the count of three, I want a wall of death.” Archspire kept fans on their toes with what to expect next. Closing out with song “Drone Corpse Aviator” fans were beginning to get very anxious about the hometown favorite that was up next, Whitechapel.
Now the moment we have all been waiting for, Whitechapel. Formed in 2006 out of Knoxville, Tennessee this six piece band has produced 8 studio albums, with news of number 9 in the works. Not only did they play their previous album The Valley in its entirety during this tour, we also got a glimpse of a few others. Opening with “When a Demon Defiles a Witch,” fans immediately lost all control. Vocalist, Phil Bozeman, not only has a way with his bandmates, but also a way of really connecting with the crowd as he screams his heart out. This is the second time Whitechapel has visited music city in the last year, and from the way fans packed the venue wall to wall you would think they don’t come around very often. Not only do they clearly have a dedicated fan base, the showmanship and clear respect amongst band members is very humbling, and amazing to witness. Playing songs “Hickory Creek,” “The Saw is the Law,” and closing out with a three song encore that includes “Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation,” “Possession,” and “This is Exile,” fans are now anxiously awaiting the release for their next album so we can witness this iconic band again soon. Although the tours final date was in Nashville, we expect to hear more from Whitechapel in the next few months click Here to stay in the loop!
Photos by: BrittMae
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