“On every scar is a badge of a lesson I’ve learned.“
Treading the fine lines that mark the borders between metalcore and deathcore, while venturing into more tech-inspired territory. With their electronic flare and cinematic strings blurring the boundaries of their heaviest and most melodic moments even further – our opener Make Them Suffer are a hard act to label. What we can be absolutely certain of though is the energy with which they attack the stage, twin vocalists Sean Harmanis and Alex Reade trade blows over the crushing breakdowns and soaring melodies of “Epitaph” and “Bones” their interplaying voices are relentless, giving a real sense of urgency to the set. This urgency translates directly to a crowd who, familiar with the band or not, barely need prompting into action – launching an eye watering 170 surfers over the barrier in less than 30 minutes. It’s safe to say Make Them Suffer have successfully raised the room’s heart rate before they exit with a triumphant “Doomswitch“.
Make Them Suffer
Dayseeker are a band on the rise, easy comparisons could see them pushing their recent success into the festival topping territory of peers like Bad Omens, their songs are similarly laden with vocal hooks and pop inspired melodies designed to be infectious, lasting earworms that land perfectly with tonight’s crowd. The set is heavy with songs from recent full-lengths, “Dark Sun” and “Creature In The Black Night“. While their sun soaked, pastel shaded aesthetics may be at odds with tonight’s headliner, the dramatic flare and anthemic quality of songs like “Bloodlust” or “Neon Grave” makes them a perfect match, compensating for speed and aggression with a slower, more deliberate building of atmosphere, turning Ally Pally into a sea of saturated lights and crooning voices with their constant stream of brooding ballads.
Dayseeker
For younger fans of heavy and alternative music it might be easy to take Motionless In White for granted, in a cultural landscape where acts like Ice Nine Kills have built entire brands around pop culture references. The manufactured mystery of masked and costumed bands like Sleep Token is now seen as an almost guaranteed path to success, that there was once a time when these theatrical elements were seen as a liability, something that undermined legitimacy and invited mockery rather than being a kind of industry cheat code. It was in that atmosphere, more than 20 years ago that Motionless In White coalesced into being, weathering a barrage of criticism and ridicule that lasted years into their career and well past their now cult classic debut album Creatures.
Motionless In White
Time however, has been kind to Motionless – proving that sticking to their guns through the waves of aesthetic and sonic trends that have come and passed since their inception has paid off. Constantly refining and adjusting the finer points of their identity, Motionless In White have managed to bring the most complete vision of their sound and stage-show yet to Alexandra Palace for a fittingly gothic Valentine’s Day celebration.
The shows along tonight’s tour are the biggest headliners outside the states that they’ve ever played and Motionless aren’t pulling punches; pyrotechnics, confetti, costume changes, a troupe of dancers kitted out with angle grinders. A set list that picks out recent hits and fan favourites alike, tonight is dedicated to fan service. Behind the masks and makeup, the joy and mutual appreciation is obvious – dedicating a hair-raising “Afraid Of The Dark” to an audience bellowing every word back at them. Chris Motionless has proven himself one of the most charismatic and energetic frontmen in alternative music, and having seen his journey from playing clubs, to academies through to today’s prestige venue, it’s not a hard sell to imagine him becoming regarded as one of the genre’s lasting stars, when he pauses the set to soak in the moment and reflect on this shared journey it feels genuine, a rare moment of spontaneous intimacy held between a band securing a well earned legacy and the audience they’ve gained along the way.
Alexandra Palace is a big room, one that inadequate production or unconfident playing could be lost in instantly. Tonight though it almost feels like Motionless In White are being held back by it, whether it’s in the industrial stomp of “A.M.E.R.I.C.A” and “Werewolf” or the massive choruses of songs like “Voices” and “Necessary Evil” it feels like Motionless are barely contained by the stage, or by the building itself. It’s been a long and storied 20 years that have taken them from MySpace obscurity to today, but the band and the fans are clearly ready to make the next leap into arenas and stadiums together.