Modern Deathcore Legends Whitechapel Perform Their Seminal Album “The Valley” In Full – Review and Photos of the Whitechapel Concert at the Revolution Live in Ft Lauderdale, FL

On the evening of April 16th, 2023, the metal community in Fort Lauderdale, Florida came together at Revolution Live for a night of pure aggression and technical proficiency. Headlining the event was Whitechapel, a deathcore band known for their unrelenting brutality and innovative musicianship. The band is currently performing a special tour where they will be playing their acclaimed album “The Valley” from front to back, and personally I’m a big fan of this new trend of playing an album all the way through during a tour. The opening acts for the night were Entheos, Signs of the Swarm and Archspire, each bringing their own unique brand of extreme metal to the stage.

Entheos, a progressive death metal band from California, kicked off the night with their incredible musical prowess. Their setlist included tracks from their latest album “Time Will Take Us All” as well as fan favorites like “White Noise” and “Remember You Are Dust“. Navene Koperweis’s drumming was impressively on point as usual, and the band’s captivating frontwoman Chaney Crabb delivered an impressive performance with her soaring vocals and intense stage presence, capturing the attention of the audience and setting the bar high for the rest of the night.

Next up was Signs of the Swarm, a deathcore band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I didn’t know much about these guys before seeing them, but they did an absolutely incredible job as well. The band’s crushing breakdowns and blistering blast beats had the audience headbanging and moshing with intense energy. The vocal performance of frontman David Simonich was particularly impressive, showcasing his brutal screams and guttural growls.

Archspire, a technical death metal band from Vancouver, Canada, took the stage next. Known for their lightning-fast guitar riffs and intricate drumming patterns, the band delivered a mind-bending performance that left the audience in awe. I’ve never seen them live before, and it was incredibly impressive to see them recreate their recordings with such accuracy and proficiency. Tracks from their latest album “Bleed the Future” were played with precision, showcasing the band’s incredible musicianship. Guitarists Dean Lamb and Tobi Morelli absolutely crushed it on the guitars, and frontman Oliver Rae Aleron’s guttural screams and frenzied stage presence added to the intensity of their performance.

Finally, it was time for Whitechapel to take the stage. The crowd erupted in cheers as the band launched into their opening track, “When a Demon Defiles a Witch“. The band’s vocalist Phil Bozeman delivered an electrifying performance, with his signature guttural growls taking front and center. Ripping their way through the entirety of “The Valley“, including fan favorites like “Hickory Creek” and “Black Bear“, the band did an absolutely incredible job recreating the entire album in a live setting.

The technical proficiency of guitarists Alex Wade, Ben Savage and Zach Householder (some of whom are fellow Artistides players!) was on full display, as they flawlessly executed complex guitar riffs and solos. The stage production was also a highlight of the night, with impressive lighting and visual effects enhancing the overall experience. The mosh pits and crowd-surfing were non-stop, creating a chaotic yet exhilarating atmosphere that perfectly matched the music being played. After finishing up the album, the band came back for a crushing encore of older classics like “This is Exile” and “Possession“.

Overall, the Whitechapel concert at Revolution Live in Ft Lauderdale, Florida was a night to remember for metal fans in the area. The opening acts Entheos, Signs of the Swarm and Archspire each delivered incredible performances, setting the stage for Whitechapel’s unrelenting onslaught of brutal deathcore. The musicianship and stage presence of all the bands were exceptional, making it a night of pure metal bliss for all in attendance.