Motionless In White
Decades
Roadrunner Records
Motionless In White have remained steadfast for two decades, providing a soundtrack and a voice for the misfits. They speak on behalf of us and to us. Having never strayed from their original MO, they’ve stayed defiantly true to themselves, each other, and the music: the silent saviours of a generation raised between graveyard romanticism and sweat drenched mosh pit catharsis. They are metalcore’s industrial theatrical gothic-horror romance crew. The band you slow-dance to under cemetery moonlight, then lose your mind to in a sold-out venue where the walls drip, and the floor shakes.
‘Decades’, comprising an impressive fourteen tracks, spans several musical genres and makes for a widely accessible album. We love the consistency, the reliability, and especially those unified, bang your head, smear your make-up, snap your neck breakdowns that feel like communion. The lyrics are memorable and easily quotable because they’re lived-in, and their anthemic choruses, led passionately by Chris Motionless, land for us because they’re carved from real life and real wounds that the audience can connect to.
During the journey of ‘Decades’, one minute you’re tuned into ‘All That I’ve Ever Known’ and ‘Blood Rave’, brazenly dancing with abandon while belting out your best ‘bleurgh’. Next, you’re screaming into the void with ‘Afraid Of The Dark’, then growling through the darkness like it’s unsolicited therapy with ‘Playing God’. The guest collaborations featuring Skylar Grey, Corey Taylor, Anthony Martinez and Ovtlier add real depth to this record and prove how exploratory pairings can expand the sonic palette, musically and emotionally.
In a world that keeps trying to sand down the edges, it’s a relief to see that Motionless In White remain unafraid to take risks in this confident and progressive chapter of their career and have wholeheartedly poured themselves into ‘Decades’, a body of work made to be felt as much as heard.
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Reviewed By Nickie Hobbs