Whitechapel have released their ninth studio album, Hymns of Dissonance and with it, they unveil their video for “Hate Cult Ritual”. The Tennessee-based deathcore band truly does not miss.
The video for Hate Cult Ritual opens with an intense battle sequence of several people fighting. Fisticuffs flying everywhere! The camera pans to the band as the opening lyrics kick in. There are high flames behind them. The video flips back and forth between showing the band and the fighting sequence. Behind the people fighting, you can see the mask of the demon creature on the cover of the album, aptly named Craig. As the first crazy riff hits, we begin to see people being killed and as the bridge hits, there are only two people left to fight to the death. There is only one person left standing, and Craig crowns him with deer antlers. As the song comes to a close, we see the winner of the battle royale joining the court of Craig.
The inspiration for the album was the Seven Deadly Sins. Tracks one and two on the album are the introduction, while tracks three through ten each embodies a different deadly sin. “Hate Cult Ritual” is track number six on the album and follows the sin of wrath.
Of "Hate Cult Ritual,” Bozeman notes, “The sin of wrath: this song portrays the overwhelming rage of the cult. Planting the seed of evil within the core of the earth to be birthed from soil. All the rivers and oceans are diseased which nourishes their unborn lord, roaming the earth and murdering all opposers.”
Guitarist Alex Wade on the song: “I was inspired a lot by Bloodbath when writing this one and felt like Phil nailed the vibe vocally contributing to that. There is a ferocity and evilness to this track that I think really sets it apart from the rest. No breakdowns, just pummeling riffs with evil chanting over the choruses.”
Listening to the album for the first time, “Hate Cult Ritual” was immediately a standout song for me, and my absolute favorite in the album. After giving the album some time and listening to it more than once, I can say for certain this is my favorite track on the album. It is placed so perfectly on the album, right at the midway point to bring it all together. As Wade put it, there are no crazy breakdowns, and this song doesn’t need it. The riffs carry and pull their weight, and the chanting absolutely works within it. While the whole album is incredible, “Hate Cult Ritual” in itself is a work of art. This is truly a contender for my song of the year.
Whitechapel is currently headlining their Hymns of Dissonance Tour to celebrate the release of the album. Brand of Sacrifice, 200 Stab Wounds, and Alluvial join them as supporting acts.
