Naked Whipper - Chapel Defilement

Naked Whipper is a blackened grindcore band from Germany, who formed in 1993. Despite the length of time that has passed, their latest release “Chapel Defilement,” is only their second full-length album; they have also released two EPs.

As with anything in life, it is quality not quantity that matters. Simply put, “Chapel Defilement,” is a filthy example of extremity and a payoff worth its weight in the gallons of blood that drip from the claws of this beastly entity. 

The production is both raw yet clear. The vocals and guitar tone are definitely teetering on the edge of an abyssal dark, each note and growl carving out another notch into the ears of which it enters. However, the overall sound, production wise, is surprisingly smooth which, rather than taking away from the band’s barbarous nature, actually makes each sickening moment stand out all the more deadly. 

The drums are maddening—racious, archaic but robust with a full, wide range. The double bass in particular is harrowing and with a good pair of headphones on, they will overtake your thoughts. The bass is just as pervasive and is one of the most thick and rumbling rhythm machines I’ve heard this year. 

The song’s themselves are raw, powerful, and against the grain of good taste. The melding of black metal and grind is convincing. The high energy and punchy tempos of grind compliment the necrotic rot of their black metal influences.  

After a disturbing intro of what might be someone getting murdered, whipped, or fucked to death, the album jumps right into it with the bombastic “Depraved To The Bone.” The riffs are groovy, pushed ever forward by the ardent drumming. The vocals are intense, some type of growl that’s like vomiting poetry. The grindcore side of the band lends the album a DIY style that’s like the soundtrack to having your skin removed by a sandblaster.

“Top Notch Slavedriver,” opens with riffs that are more catchy than I ever thought music of this style could be but here we are—and it’s goddamn amazing. The song builds upon itself, the riffs getting deeper, the drums gaining a bigger presence. Before the halfway point is even reached, this song has fully taken over my body, transforming it to one big bruise. The double bass, at times, sounds like little explosions across an already embattled field of desolation.

Before I even listened to “Fucked On A Cross,” I figured it would be a nasty track and that’s an understatement. At 3:10 in length, it’s one of the longer songs on the album and every second is like wringing blood from a stone—painful and futile in any hopes the aggression will be abadated. The echo effects on the vocals turn the song cavernous but the speed of the song is more like being plunged into this cavern rather than a slow descent. 

The vocals “Nail or be Nailed,” are depraved and one of the best performances on the album. Of course, they are backed by the constant lashing of the music. It all churns together like a demonic concoction. Around the 1:40, something along the lines of “fucking you all,” is vomited forth just second before the band delivers an unbridled beatdown. 

The oddly titled, “Wow Wow Wholy Whore, Hot Wax Fat Candles,” ends the album with nearly three minutes of the band trying their best to demolish my headphones by going faster, harder, and more unseemingly than ever before. If a bunch of people were in a mostpit while throwing up and cutting themselves, I’d imagine this song could accompany such a scenario.  

I’ve been listening to this album quite a bit since receiving the promo awhile ago and it has never failed to entertain me, even if that entertainment is totally disgusting and lacking anything that a normal person would find listenable. Well, I’m not normal and if you’re rreading his then I assume you are not either. So dive right into this highly recommended album.