Eight albums in, Motionless In White have presented an album that feels more akin to fulfilling a contractual obligation to a label. Coming a long, long way from their early warped tour days, the Scranton quintet has found their sound and the only deviation really comes in the form of a heavier amount of electronics than usual it seems. The production and mix from this record do stand out (which we should expect nothing less from Zakk Cervini), and there’s a lot of production ear candy throughout the record to have something to say about relistenability. Unfortunately that’s really where the enjoyment ends.
The promising single ‘Afraid of the Dark’ left one hopeful for the record to return to some semblance of their dark Gothenburg-esque riffs, and while there still are heavy and aggressive moments in songs like ‘Decades’ and ‘Playing God’, Motionless in White really lean into the electronic aspect (especially in the back half of the album). The aptly named ‘Blood Rave’ is a dance party for the pit, featuring the voice of Dark Divine’s Anthony Martinez. Unfortunately, no amount of aggression or catchiness from this record can distract from how simple and cringe inducing many of the lyrics are. ‘Love At First Bite’ and ‘Blood Pact’ in particular stick in the mind and just really leaves one defeated in expecting lyricism that doesn’t just cater to singalongs and catchiness. “Ending” the record with a cover of ‘Sunglasses At Night’ really ends up capping a record (bonus songs aside) that seems lost, searching for a direction but ultimately just ending up in a spot that leaves the listener wondering if that was really it.
Rating: 37/100
Notable Songs: Decades, Afraid of the Dark
