Motionless in White had announced their seventh album.
Titled Decades, it took Chris “Motionless” Cerulli (vocals), Ryan Sitkowski (guitar), Ricky “Horror” Olson (guitar/vocals), Vinny Mauro (drums), and Justin Morrow (bass) four years to create, and is being released on Roadrunner.
The album opens with the title track Decades and its fairly basic instrumental, which easily brings to mind the band’s best-known Iowa-based sound, over which Chris roars while his bandmates build on Nu Metal influences paired with a few samples, reinforcing the Industrial aspect before moving on to log_in//crash_out, where they continue to expand their sound. Gina DeBlieck’s backing vocals return, allowing the band to deliver fairly mellow choruses in clean vocals before returning to their signature energy, ultimately welcoming Skylar Grey for R.I.P., their new sentimental ballad with an accessible groove where screams are very rare, emphasizing the dreamy elements. Metalcore’s energy returns on Fight Like Hell, along with a few rap sections that blend rather well into the composition, before shifting back to Nu Metal by featuring Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) on Playing God, the album’s most brutal track, where the musicians go all out to provide their guest with a more-than-familiar environment. The final mosh part will undoubtedly be a hit live, but All That I’ve Ever Known will soften the atmosphere, making it accessible once again and even incorporating some dubstep elements during the break. We stay true to electro roots for Blood Rave, a track where the musicians are joined by Anthony Martinez (Dark Divine), making it perfect for a club night with modified vocals, before returning to Gothic roots – at times a bit dungeon-like – for the haunting Love At First Bite, a track that’s both calm and mysterious. The band returns to dance-oriented influences on Count Back from Zero, which once again fits right in on our favorite dance floors, while skillfully weaving in a few touches of autotune, as well as a break that aims to be menacing but ultimately remains fairly tame. The final tries to get us headbanging before Blood Pact offers us a moment of respite, followed by trap elements that permeate the entire track, occasionally exploding with controlled palm-mutes, and then the intensity finally returns on Afraid of the Dark, a track that revisits some old-school roots, particularly in its staccato rhythm infused with blast beats. The album officially wraps up with Sunglasses at Night, a cover of the New Wave artist Corey Hart’s song, which – though it fits seamlessly into this new, toned-down, and accessible artistic direction – still comes as a surprise.
The band has still got two surprise tracks in store for us: the first is Hollywood, a track that blends alternative metal with the highly accessible electronic elements present throughout the album, followed by Fight Like Hell and its aggressive edge, featuring Joey Arena (Outlier), whose energetic delivery strangely enhances the track.
While it’s obvious that evolution is part of a band’s journey, I think I can safely say that Motionless in White took a… rather risky gamble with Decades. There will likely be fans who embrace this change, but as for me, I’ll stick with my favorites from their previous albums.
60/100
