Whitechapel

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aming themselves after the location in London known as Whitechapel where the occurrence of the infamous Whitechapel murders were committed by Jack the Ripper, Whitechapel was founded in February 2006 by Knoxville residents Phil Bozeman (vocals), Brandon Cagle (guitar), Derek Martin (drums), and Ben Savage (lead guitar). They were soon after joined by Alex Wade (guitar/ex-Redwinterdying), and in march of that year guitarist Zach Householder replaced Derek Martin in time to record their first demos. In 2007 the band signed to Siege of Amida Records in the United Kingdom, and Candlelight Records in North America; soon after acquiring new drummer Kevin Lane to release their debut full-length album The Somatic Defilement in June of that year now with Gabe Crisp on bass and Kevin Lane on drums.

In October 2007, Whitechapel signed to Metal Blade Records, to release their second album in 2008 entitled This Is Exile, reaching #118 in the Billboard Top 200. In May 2008, the band toured on The Summer Slaughter Tour, and by August 2008, they boasted their first ever headlining tour with Impending Doom, A Different Breed of Killer, and Through the Eyes of the Dead.

In 2008 Whitechapel's video for Possession and This Is Exile were released along with a tour on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival on the Hot Topic Stage with the bands Job for a Cowboy, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth (UK) and The Black Dahlia Murder, and on the main stage with headliners Slayer and Marilyn Manson.