“Still here, count the years, fuck a tombstone.”
It’s been four years since Motionless in White released their previous record, Scoring the End of the World, the longest break in between album releases for them. Previously, Chris Motionless had spoken publicly about taking a longer break to ensure they put their best foot forward on their next album. In the meantime, their trajectory as a band has only skyrocketed. They’re now headlining arenas, and they even opened for Bring Me the Horizon at one of the most iconic venues on American soil: Madison Square Garden. The ceiling has only become higher for the metalcore outfit as time has gone on. With that, MIW’s 7th album, Decades, is next on their docket, following their twentieth anniversary.
The titular track begins the record with a faster-paced beat and heavy guitar work. The lyrics overlook the band’s two-decade tenure as a unit, “To fight a new day, defy the decades.” Even though “Decades” has arguably some of the best instrumentals and lyricism this album has to offer, it feels like it’s lacking a memorable chorus to deliver the full MIW package. Following up, “log_in//crash_out” opens strong with heavy electronics that are extremely reminiscent of “</c0de>” from Disguise. Because of such similarities, the song could be regarded as a spiritual sequel. There are a few moments out of place when cheerleading is added; a momentary speedbump in an otherwise all-around great song.
“R.I.P.”, the third single and more aligned with the ballads MIW have become known for, fits right alongside “Another Life” and “Masterpiece” with its haunting atmosphere and yearning emotional melodies. Chris’s vocal performance is vulnerable, personal, and true to who he is. Skylar, by contrast, weaves throughout the track in a way that complements Chris to only enhance what MIW wants the listener to feel. ”Fight Like Hell” is a nu-metal-esque song that clearly sounds inspired by bands like Korn, Breaking Benjamin, and, dare I say Limp Bizkit. MIW missed a golden opportunity of getting Fred Durst to feature on the song, and instead opted for Chris doing his best Durst impression after the first chorus. The lyricism is a bit juvenile-sounding, the song is fun, but nothing to write home about. “Playing God” is one of the better tracks on this record. It’s MIW executing what they do best: great choruses, fun instrumentals that vary from four on the floor breakdowns and faster, more metal-sounding riffs, with a giant breakdown near the end. The breakdown will stick with most people and is arguably just as heavy as “Slaughterhouse.” Corey Taylor’s feature is used well throughout the entire song rather than just a verse that’s pigeonholed in, as some bands tend to do. “All That I’ve Ever Known” is another relatively fun MIW track, one that is seemingly built to be played on Octane radio (that’s not necessarily a bad thing). The greatness of this song is abruptly cut short by a very out-of-place dubstep breakdown that feels like Attack Attack! in 2008, and not the good side of old AA!. Had they incorporated more of that sound into this song prior, it may have worked, but it otherwise feels obstructive.
In the second half of the record, “Blood Rave” kicks things off. This is MIW at their most electronic. The first verse feels fun, like it’s almost out of a club, something very different for them. Anthony Martinez’s feature is used just as well as Grey’s and Taylor’s were on previous tracks, with MIW utilizing their features to their full extent, and that’s exactly how it should be. Another electronic breakdown in this song, yet it doesn’t feel out of place, so it works, and it feels like the sonic version of the goths dancing under the bridge. “Love at First Bite” is clearly the sequel to “Werewolf,” right out of the gate, with reminiscent vibes and lyricism. The haunting organs at the beginning are a fun intro and fitting to the atmosphere of the song. The chorus is catchy, as per the MIW usual, and the guitar solo is a great addition.
We plunge into the final third of the record with “Count Back From Zero”, which sounds like a natural progression from their previous record. This iteration is soaring with electronic leads, a huge anthemic chorus, and an electronic breakdown. Lyrically and thematically, it sounds like something straight from the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. This track is easily one of my favorites; everything works, and nothing feels out of place or shoehorned in. The high turns to ash, however, as soon as “Blood Pact” plays. The heavy, effected vocals of the intro saying “Light it up, burn it down, kill the king, take the crown” are abysmal. The verses that follow are not impressive at all, the chorus is extremely underwhelming, and nothing in this song makes me want to listen to it again.
Thankfully, “Afraid of the Dark” cleanses the palette, as it is arguably one of MIW’s best compositions in their discography. The 00s metalcore guitarwork is addictive, the lyricism is personal and heartfelt, the chorus is massive, and the breakdown is very fun. “Afraid of the Dark” is the MIW we all know and love; this is them at the top of their game. Had they written an entire record adjacent to this, there would’ve been grounds for a masterpiece. Finally, we close the record with a cover of “Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart. An already legendary song with a lot to mess up; thankfully, MIW can execute the cover brilliantly. They cut the fat from the original and keep the necessary bits for their rendition. The guitar solo is great, Chris’s vocals work well with the nature of the song, and the outro feels climactic as a finale of the record.
Decades certainly has its ups and downs, as most records do. Yet I fear that MIW are falling into a trap of their own repetition. They have the classic heavy songs, the ballad or two, the experimental songs, and the ones they did for their own enjoyment. It feels as if they’re constantly trying to please everyone and give everyone at least a handful of songs they’ll enjoy. The cyclic nature of these records is stunting MIW from their own growth sonically. While Decades has its great moments, it still has too many unnecessary twists and turns that don’t add to the record in any meaningful way. Motionless in White are a band of truly talented musicians who have been together for quite some time, and I believe that if they can step away from the established patterns of their records and commit themselves to something more cohesive, they have the potential to make something truly groundbreaking. Unfortunately, Decades is not that record.
