WHITECHAPEL / BRAND OF SACRIFICE – LIVE AT THE PALLADIUM
Whitechapel brought their “Hymns in Dissonance” tour to the iconic Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, along with some of the best rising deathcore and death metal bands currently in the scene. The tour package featured Alluvial, an emerging deathcore band from Georgia; Ohio’s death metal band 200 Stab Wounds; and the Canadian deathcore band Brand of Sacrifice, who have been dominating the scene in recent years.
The first band on the lineup, Alluvial, consistently impresses me with their live performance. Though they were the opener, they brought headliner-level energy, as always. Opening with “Exponent,” a track from their 2021 album Sarcoma, the pit immediately erupted, with people across the venue headbanging and jumping around. The band’s performance was eccentric, with lighting that ranged from blues to oranges and reds, creating the perfect ambiance for their heavy-hitting set.
They played through several songs from their discography, but most notably, they ended their set with “Bog Dweller” from their 2024 EP Death Is But A Door, which had nearly everyone in the room moving, whether it was headbanging, jumping, crowd surfing, or moshing in the pit. Alluvial’s set was the perfect introduction to the heavy performances that followed.
Next up was 200 Stab Wounds, which was somewhat of an outlier on the lineup, being death metal rather than deathcore. However, they still had the entire crowd in a vice grip throughout their set. From the first song, a sizable pit opened, with people crowd surfing almost immediately. 200 Stab Wounds is well known for their ability to write heavy, hard-hitting, genuinely great riffs. They encapsulate an energy that gives off classic old-school death metal vibes while incorporating some newer death metal techniques. Though the band is relatively new, with their first EP released in 2020, they already have a solid discography and played a good mix of songs during their set.
Brand of Sacrifice was up next, and this band continues to amaze me every time I see them. Hailing from Canada, Brand of Sacrifice is no stranger to the American scene, and the metal community here is very familiar with them. Whether it’s their looks, their energy, or the combination of heavy riffs and vocalist Kyle Anderson’s exceptional vocal abilities, this band consistently delivers an outstanding performance. As soon as the opening song “Demon King” began, the crowd was instantly moving in every imaginable way. Crowd surfers were flying, the pit opened up wider than ever before, and people from front to back were headbanging and throwing their arms around.
Throughout their set, Brand of Sacrifice played some of their bigger songs like “Lifeblood,” “Exodus,” and “Blinded,” all of which sparked huge pits and a steady stream of crowd surfers. Fans of the band were singing the choruses at the top of their lungs. The light show also stood out, with a variety of cool tones and whites that perfectly highlighted both the band’s presence and the beauty of the venue. Brand of Sacrifice ended their set with “Eclipse,” which served as the perfect conclusion to their performance and a smooth transition to the headliner.
Whitechapel
Finally, it was time for Whitechapel to take the stage. I admit, I’m very biased towards Whitechapel, as they were one of the bands that got me into this genre of music years ago, but I’ll try to keep this review as objective as possible. As soon as vocalist Phil Bozeman took the stage, the crowd went wild—on a whole new level. From front to back, fans screamed and cheered as the first notes of “Prisoner 666,” a track from the band’s latest album Hymn of Decay, rang out.
The stage lights illuminated all six members of the band, and from the very first line of the song, everyone in the tightly packed room was moving. The pit opened up bigger than it had been all night, crowd surfers came flying over the barricade in such numbers that security struggled to keep up, and fans on the barricade were being shifted with each strobe of light from the pit’s movement.
As Whitechapel moved through their set, the impact they had on each person in the room was undeniable. The only moment of silence came when Bozeman paused to speak while the rest of the band took a break, but even then, one or two crowd surfers made their way over. This set was a reminder of why Whitechapel has always been at the peak of the deathcore scene. Even after all these years of making music, they can still release albums that are different from their previous ones, yet still convey the rage and intensity that built their name.
This set was the perfect mix of new and old songs, moving between tracks like “I, Dementia,” “A Visceral Retch,” and “This is Exile.” Whitechapel proved they know how to craft a setlist that’s perfect for the fans. The set ended with “The Saw Is The Law,” followed by cheers and claps as the lights went down. Then, for one final encore, the band came back out and played “Doom Wood,” the perfect closer to a set that left everyone in the crowd satisfied.
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