Bring Me Home
From their full length Mark Of The Blade (Metal Blade)
Shot and directed by Mathis Arnell for Naughty Mantis
Rock music has always had strong compatibility with raw visceral energy spurring from abandoned emotions and feelings. Whitechapel's 'Bring Me Home' is a perfect example. The song is a five-minute rollercoaster that deals lyrically with themes of loss and associated grief, agony and associated echoes of suicide, and finally overcoming such a tough emotional battle with a sense of empowerment and revelation. Musically the song is downtrodden, defeated, dejected and inexorably dark throughout the affair but there are sparks of illumination lurking amidst the darkest void. An unconventional song to a degree for its being led predominantly by a sustained bass pattern and oneiric vocals. The chorus is huge and a lovely contrast to the bleakness of the verses. There's diversity in almost every minute detail of the track, from soulful singing to almost yearning cries exemplified in the harshest moments of this ordeal. The drums are demonstrative but not bombastic, as the last thing the song needed was overwhelming elevation. There are ebbs and flows within its personality but overall the thread that binds it is of introspective brooding. To have interpolated a variation of extreme highs-and-lows would have been unnecessary so I'm glad they didn't do such a thing. Although I found the song immensely appealing I'm not ashamed to admit as a complete body of work it almost pales in comparison to the stunning visuals in its accompanying video, and that's certainly not a bad thing. The video adds so much colour to an already fine piece of music and gives it a remarkable grounding and thematic relevance. One finds it touching - from the heart-breaking clips of the young boy's emotional turmoil yet incredible innocence with the grown man's outpouring of emotion and melancholy. From the emotive war-stricken, dilapidated landscape to the minimalistic shots of sitting-room contemplation the spectacle oozes remarkable evocative thought. A visual and sonic treat throughout. -Jaime Regadas
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