The 8^th studio album from Whitechapel will be released for our consumption on October 29^th, 2021. I have been waiting for Whitechapel to announce their new album for a while now and it has finally happened! Over the past few months, Phil Bozeman (vocalist) has been posting videos of him in the studio working on the album. So, I knew a new album was coming but I did not know when; I knew it was coming very soon! And I was right! 

Earlier this week, I noticed that Whitechapel changed their profile picture on Instagram to a black screen and that they deleted all of their Instagram posts. This was my first sign that I knew something BIG was coming. Then, they began posting snippets of their album cover with (what I’m assuming) is lyrics from their upcoming album. Then on Tuesday (August 31^st) Whitechapel released a new single called “Lost Boy” off of their upcoming album named “Kin.” 

“Lost Boy” has a very mature sound for the band and I really like the evolution Whitechapel is experiencing with their music. I cannot wait to hear what the rest of the album sounds like! On Whitechapel’s website they have a few paragraphs that create a biography about the new album and it talks about the bands transition from their 2019 release “The Valley,” to their upcoming 2021 release “Kin.” It explains that while “The Valley” was a new sound for the band, “Kin” is an even more dynamic and diverse sound for the band. Bozeman states that “Kin” is continuing the discussion that was being had in “The Valley,” in which Bozeman speaks on childhood trauma, and was their darkest release to date. But “Kin” will be its successor. 

The writing process for “Kin” began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The band had a handful of tours left to showcase “The Valley,” but those got cancelled. They decided to focus on writing and creating a new record. Alex Wade (guitarist) states that:

“We started writing sessions beginning in May and would write for usually a week solid, then take a few weeks off to let everyone digest the material, reset and gain new ideas and perspectives on the songs, then get back together for another week to continue the process.” 

Wade also states that “Kin” will explore a lot of “sonic and emotional territory” and that for the first time a “Whitechapel record is as much a rock album as it is a metal one.” The band wanted the songs on the album to “breathe and have life” in order for it to sound bigger than anything the band has made thus far. 

As mentioned above, “Kin” is the sequel to “The Valley” and continuing the story that Bozeman started. The album title pertains to relatives but it has a deeper meaning which plays into the idea of Bozeman’s alternate persona, his kin. Bozeman explains that: 

“It’s a fictional representation of a non-fictional story. I’m coming from a ‘what if’ standpoint. I’m also representing it in a way that conveys a [deeper and darker frame of mind]. This is all about what I could’ve been, had I decided to take the dark road. For the sake of storytelling, there are supernatural elements in play here as well.” 

The first song off of “Kin” takes place right after the last track off of “The Valley,” “Doom Woods.” 

I am very excited to hear “Kin” and break down the lyrics on this album. I will have to go back and listen to “The Valley” to get ready for their newest release in October! According to Bozeman’s explanation of the lyrical content, it seems as though this is going to be a very interesting album that I cannot wait to explore. 

The artwork for the album was created by Ben Savage’s (guitarist) wife, Jillian Savage. When I look at the cover I see two aliens, which explains the supernatural/extraterrestrial that Bozeman explained. But also, I see one figure as someone’s “true self” and the other as the “alter-ego/what if” persona. I think the artwork gives off the perfect vibe for the artistic direction the band is going for on the record. 

I cannot wait for this album to be released! Make sure you pre-order the album and also check out the bundles that Whitechapel has out for “Kin.” I pre-ordered their blue splatter vinyl and it will be my first Whitechapel album that I have in my vinyl collection!

Track list: 

1. I Will Find You
2. Lost Boy 
3. A Bloodsoaked Symphony 
4. Anticure 
5. The Ones That Made Us 
6. History Is Silent 
7. To the Wolves 
8. Orphan 
9. Without You 
10. Without Us 
11. Kin

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Click here for the full biography of Whitechapel’s new album “Kin.” I used this article to help create this blog post.