Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
“I’m still fucking here. Is that all you fucking got?”
It only takes a few words to create a reaction. To create an emotion. To create a feeling. And the first words that Chris Motionless screams on Motionless in White’s 7th album, Decades, do just that – because right from the get-go, you know that he’s not here to mess about. He’s out for blood.
It’s their first record in 4 years, marking it as the longest period of time between albums for the Pennsylvania quintet, but it was certainly worth the wait. There’s a lot to unpack on this album – 12 blistering tracks in total, including features from an array of vocalists such as Skylar Grey and Slipknot’s very own Corey Taylor, plus a cover to round it all up. The artwork depicts a very grisly version of Chris, with half of his face intact and normal, but the other half bloody, cut up, and monstrous. It fits perfectly with not only the album’s sound but also the band’s love of horror in general.
As mentioned above, Chris throws us headfirst into a frenzy of heaviness with his ‘no holds barred’ introduction on the album’s self-titled opener with his surely-soon-to-be-iconic lines. The ferocity of the song gives me flashbacks to hearing People=Shit from Slipknot’s 2001 album Iowa for the very first time, because both songs waste no time in getting straight to the point, and doing so unapologetically and brutally. And even though we are welcomed to our first breakdown on the entire record, led by Chris snarling “Still here, no fear / Fuck a tombstone,” it’s arguably the most crushing part of the whole album, at least in my opinion. And remember, we still have 11 more tracks to go, so hold on tight!
On the follow-up track log_in//crash_out (which reads like a modern-age Bring Me the Horizon title), we get some classic electronicore that MIW are adored for, a style reminiscent of their 2014 masterpiece Reincarnate. It’s got that brutal sound that would reignite and reinvigorate a live crowd, getting them moving and moshing. “The price of attention is human connection / And the service fee’s your soul” is a fantastic lyric that speaks volumes when considering the fact that so many people rely on being online nowadays, and that everyone can easily get sucked into doomscrolls and different algorithms in the blink of an eye. The track slaps overall, but the lyricism is absolutely spot on – it’s my personal favourite on the entire album!
The album goes through many stylistic shifts and alterations, which really lives up to its career-spanning album title. For example, R.I.P. (featuring Skylar Grey) sounds very ballad-esque with its soaring melodies and passionate lyrics – the most gut-wrenching being “If you ever leave, it would be the end of me / I would die but I’d never rest in peace” from its chorus. Shortly after, we get Fight Like Hell, which completely 180s into a balanced mix of Spiritbox-esque metalcore and 2000s nu-metal. We even get a cheeky “This is my brutality” intro, which is a throwback to their 2022 theme track for WWE’s Rhea Ripley. If that intro doesn’t get you hyped up, then what will?? And further down the line, when we get to Love at First Bite, we are introduced to an eerie organ hook (because it would be rude not to, especially with THAT sort of title) that transcends into a glitchy, industrial-like track, complete with gothic, vampiric lyrics such as “I’m a sucker for a good time / And you’re just my blood type, baby.” If these examples don’t properly show you how varied the album is in sound, then I frankly don’t know what to tell you.
For the record’s finale, the band do something that I haven’t seen happen in quite a while – they finish the record with a cover. But not just any cover, oh no. They whack out a cover in the form of Corey Hart’s 1983 synthpop hit Sunglasses at Night, of all songs! I first heard this track on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and thought it was the perfect song to drive through the neon, sun-soaked streets of Vice City to, after killing countless NPCs and avoiding a 5-star wanted level. But upon hearing MIW’s cover of the song, I’ve completely changed my perspective. It’s actually very eerie and mysterious in its lyrical content, and a bit unnerving in its odd synth hook – it’s very unconventional. It sounds like something out of an 80s B-horror film. And this is something that Motionless emulate incredibly well, as it pretty much breathes new, twisted life into the 40+ year old tune. Bravo, Motionless. Bravo.
This is Motionless In White’s strongest album in years – arguably, ever. It’s the sound of a band that has been through a lot in their 20+ year career, but also one that proves they know exactly what they’re doing, and exactly where they’re going. If this is the sound that we get on their 7th record, then let’s fucking ‘ave it for the 8th album. Bring it on.
Review – Joe Richardson
Decades is available now via Roadrunner Records.
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR:
WITH LORNA SHORE, FIT FOR A KING, + STATIC DRESS:
SUMMER 2026:
7/18 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live
7/19 — Mansfield, OH — Inkcarceration*
7/21 — Charlotte, NC — Truliant Amphitheater
7/22 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheater
7/24 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
7/25 — Houston, TX — The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
7/26 — Austin, TX — Germania Insurance Amphitheater
7/28 — Albuquerque, NM — First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater
7/29 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
7/31 — Los Angeles, CA — The Kia Forum
8/1 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre
8/4 — Portland, OR — Theater of the Clouds
8/5 — Auburn, WA — White River Amphitheatre
8/7 — Sandy, UT — Beddy’s Plaza at America First Field
8/9 — Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/11 — Oklahoma City, OK — Zoo Amphitheatre
8/12 — Rogers, AR — Walmart AMP
8/14 — Indianapolis, IN — Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
8/15 — Sterling Heights, MI — Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
*Festival
WITH DAYSEEKER, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, + DARK DIVINE:
AUTUMN 2026:
10/30 — Worcester, MA — DCU Center
10/31 — Philadelphia, PA — Xfinity Mobile Arena
11/3 — Raleigh, NC — Lenovo Center
11/4 — Savannah, GA — VyStar Pavilion
11/5 — Orlando, FL — Kia Center
11/7 — Nashville, TN — The Truth
11/8 — Peoria, IL — Peoria Civic Center Arena
11/10 — Minneapolis, MN — Target Center
11/11 — Omaha, NE — CHI Health Center
11/13 — Milwaukee, WI — Fiserv Forum
11/15 — Albany, NY — MVP Arena
11/18 — Portland, ME — Cross Insurance Arena
11/19 — Newark, NJ — Prudential Center
11/20 — Pittsburgh, PA — PPG Paints Arena
All tickets are available here.
Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner
