For Whitechapel, deathcore is a mere starting point for a furious, grungy take on nu-metal. Mark of the Blade is a generous helping of brutal, multifaceted shredders, loaded with clanking riffs and grooves worthy of an oceanic mosh pit. The seething post-grunge roar "Bring Me Home" boasts hypnotizing harmonies, and the frenzied '80s metal riffage on the instrumental "Brotherhood" segues into a gothic piano coda—but such breathers only amplify Whitechapel's despairing, guttural fury.