The Valley (Whitechapel album)

The Valley is a concept album based on vocalist and writer Phil Bozeman's childhood; the title is a reference to Hardin Valley, Tennessee, where Bozeman grew up.[9] His father, Michael Gary Bozeman, passed away in 1995[10] when Phil was ten,[11] while his mother struggled with alcoholism and schizophrenia;[12] "When a Demon Defiles a Witch" is an interpretation of one of her visions she wrote down in a journal entry.[13] She eventually remarried, but Bozeman's step-father turned out to be abusive towards both of them: Bozeman has called him a "predator"[14] and holds him responsible for introducing his mother to crack cocaine,[10] which lead to her eventual death[11] via drug overdose.[15][10]

The band's follow-up album, Kin, continues the story.[16]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Consequence of Sound	B+[4]
Exclaim!	9/10[5]
Kerrang!	[6]
MetalSucks	[7]
Metal Injection	9/10[9]

Whitechapel

• Phil Bozeman – vocals, lyrics
• Ben Savage – lead guitar
• Alex Wade – rhythm guitar
• Gabe Crisp – bass
• Zach Householder – third guitar

Additional musicians

• Navene Koperweis – drums

Production

• Mark Lewis – production, engineering
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• David Castillo – mixing

Artwork and design

• Branca Studio – artwork, layout
• Phil Savage – photography