Whitechapel at Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, MD – April 20, 2023
Whitechapel made a stop in Baltimore at the Soundstage on April 20 to play their seventh hit album in full, The Valley. With them on this tour was Entheos, Signs of the Swarm, and Archspire. The full lineup brought in a nearly sold-out show, and an intensely rowdy crowd which wasn’t surprising for such impressive sets by all bands.
Entheos
First to hit the stage was Entheos, fronted by Chaney Crabb. There were times it felt the instruments overpowered the vocals, making it difficult to hear her. Though during some brief quiet moments, I could hear her. Chaney had supremely remarkable growls, very similar to Jinjer’s Tatiana Shmayluk. That night marked Entheos’s return trip to Baltimore Soundstage since their last time in 2022. While the music was great, it felt the set was a bit rushed. I wished I could’ve heard more what they had to offer.
Signs of the Swarm
Next was Signs of the Swarm. Whatever energy Entheos brought, Signs of the Swarm amped it up. The crowd surfers cropped up amidst the concertgoers and swarms of them surged the front. It was a sight to behold. As a first-time listener of the band, their song “Death Whistle” was recommended to me a lot by a friend. I delayed listening to the song until my drive over to Baltimore and before the show. I’m glad I did. It was very chilling and eerie to hear it live as they played it as their last song on the set. I could’ve sworn I heard the whistle faintly in the background. Or it could’ve been my ears ringing. We’ll never know.
Archspire
The penultimate band before Whitechapel was Archspire. They had the same energy as the previous ones – very heavy and energetic. It was entertaining to see how highly interactive they were with the crowd, cracking jokes and sharing colorful stories. At a few points throughout their set, they threw hot sliders and a Twister board into the crowd. They made for an amusing band. I would certainly love to see them again.
Whitechapel
By the time Whitechapel hit the stage, the venue smelled distinctly of weed, in celebration of 4/20. Not enough weed could be truly prepare anyone to hear Whitechapel live, from the deep guttural growls of Phil Bozeman, the intense shredding of lead guitarist, Ben Savage, to the touring drummer Brandon Zackey’s precise drumming. The band as a whole, a force to be reckoned with, all of it, bouncing through the low-ceilinged venue. Hearing one’s favorite album being played in full and live is nothing short of amazing.
Whitechapel powered through their entire set, even adding a few surprise songs in the final portion; “I Will Find You” from their eighth album, Kin, “Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation” from their debut album, The Somatic Defilement, and from their second album, This is Exile, “Possession” and “This is Exile.” Whitechapel sure knew how to end their set on a resounding note, leaving their fans wanting more.
While the tour has ended, Whitechapel has announced a set of European dates. Who knows? They might announce some more U.S. dates. When they do, make sure to snatch your tickets as soon as possible. You do not want to miss any of their tours.
