Formed in 2006 by Phil Bozeman, Brandon Cagle, and Ben Savage, tech-heavy Knoxville, Tennessee-based death metal outfit Whitechapel (named for the London neighborhood where the notorious Jack the Ripper disposed of most of his victims) blend grindcore, hardcore, and black metal into an unholy trinity of audio violence.After rounding out the lineup with guitarist Alex Wade, bassist Gabe Crisp, and drummer Derek Martin, the band's 2006 self-produced EP led to a European record deal with the Siege of Amida label and a distribution deal with Candlelight, where the band released its full-length debut, The Somatic Defilement, in 2007. That same year, the band parted ways with Savage and Martin, who were replaced by guitarist Zach Householder and drummer Kevin Lane. After signing on with Metal Blade, the band returned with its sophomore effort, This Is Exile, in 2008, followed shortly thereafter by A New Era of Corruption in 2010. In 2011, Whitechapel parted ways with Lane, replacing the drummer with Ben Harclerode, who made his debut on the remix EP Recorrupted later that year. Whitechapel returned the following year with a self-titled album, which was followed by their fifth album, Our Endless War, in 2014. ~ James Christopher Monger

An epically unashamed demonstration of aggression, Bodysnatcher’s music is dark, furious,and threatening. It’s a sound born from the burden of struggle and an unwavering commit-ment to continued survival against all obstacles. Bodysnatcher put the “core” back in Death-core.Bleed-Abide, the Melbourne, Florida quartet’s third album, crackles with rage and power.As seen on tour with Chelsea Grin, Lorna Shore, and Slaughter To Prevail, and in a series ofincreasingly packed, sweaty, and electrifying club shows, Bodysnatcher music, lyrics, andimagery already inspired several tattoos and proven transformative to deeply connectedlisteners.The alligator-filled swamps and burned-out tourist beaches of Florida were fertile groundfor death metal when the late/great Chuck Schuldiner took his love of heavy thrash andcrushed it into a new subgenre. The Sunshine State gave gruesome birth to genre pioneerslike Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary, and Deicide. Morrisound Recording became the sitewhere legendary bands summoned essential albums. Florida claims almost as many crucialhardcore, punk, and power-violence bands, including Poison The Well, Shai Hulud, Brethren,Assück, and Strongarm.Kyle Medina (vocals), Kyle Carter (guitar), Kyle Shope (bass), and Chris Whited (drums) em-body the hardcore spirit and cut their teeth in the tight-knit community. They are monikeredafter the nickname of one of history’s most notorious serial killers, Ed Gein, and represent-ed by a triangular symbol steeped in alchemy and the occult. But Bodysnatcher lyrics owemore to the horrors of domestic strife than the gore of their Florida-based forebearers inCannibal Corpse.The inception point came with the purest of intentions. “I was around 17,” Medina explains.“We were just going to be a band that was basically a ‘breakdown band’ for my friends tomosh to.”Eventually stabilizing with a lineup that overlapped at various points with beloved groups likeKing Conquer and Dealey Plaza, Bodysnatcher released a quick succession of albums and most notably Abandonment(2015), Death of Me(2017), and the utterly crushing This Heavy Void(2020). Combined with a blistering live show, this led to a deal with the MNRKHeavy label.Bleed-Abideis the darkest offering yet from Bodysnatcher, burning with an intensity derivedfrom a further focus on sonic pummeling and truth-telling narratives. “Even as a pissed-offteenager, the first songs I wrote were about personal experiences and people who did mewrong,” Medina says. “The musicianship is more mature; there are still a lot of breakdownsbut done in a much smarter way. It’s definitely still Bodysnatcher. It’s like Bodysnatcher onsteroids.”All of the guys contribute to the lyrics, resulting in multiple points of view and diverse in-sights anchored by common themes of catharsis and resistance. “Absolved of the Stringsand Stone” is a battle cry against the gaslighting and emotional abuse of toxic people. “Hol-low Shell” delves into strained familial dynamics, where some family members live as virtualprisoners to others.“Wired for Destruction” confronts death anxiety. “It’s about the fear of the unknown, how allof us will move on,” says Medina. “Are we just going to return to dust? Are we just forgot-ten?” Even amidst the uncertainty and darkness, there’s an underlying positivity to be minedwithin. “Value Through Suffering” takes a proactive stance on hardship, a way to rebuildfrom the wreckage.Too many bands resist genre classification in an aloof effort to distinguish themselves fromevery other band, inadvertently consigning themselves to talking points that sound like ev-eryone else. Bodysnatcher is, without apology, a deathcore band. There is no compromisein the cards.“Deathcore kicks ass. A lot of bands shy away from labels they don’t deem ‘cool’ enough.But we don’t give a fuck,” Medina says proudly. “We like what we like, and we play what weplay. We all love hardcore and metal, so we’re going to play hardcore, play metal, and playbreakdowns.”“And that’s how the band is going to be, forever.