Review Summary: A scattered, disorganized, mess of potential
Pennsylvania Metalcore outfit Motionless in White released "The Whorror" EP in 2007, their first official release following their emo/post-hardcore demo in 2005. The EP was released through Masquerade Recordings, and showcased the band's goth/horror metalcore sound which they have continued to build upon since this debut.
"The Whorror" shows elements of the band's strong punk and post-hardcore influence as well as adding a more metalcore oriented sound to the mix. The album opens with a short instrumental intro track which serves as the title track, not much to say here except it has a sort of gloomy sound, which foreshadows the band's sound on this record and even beyond, a fitting opening track for the band.
The following track is the first real song on the EP, with a mouthful of a title, "Just when you thought we couldn't get any more emo, we go an pull a stunt like this". This song retreads common ground in the metalcore scene, asserting who you are, being yourself, etc. However, the song does it in a way which is rarely seen, through a punk-reminiscent rage, including high pitched screams and even spoken word passages. The track sets the tone for the album and is a raging, angst filled rampage right from the start, the song does make heavy use of harsh language, callouts and humorous terminology, All in all, it feels like a punk driven metalcore song written at a drunken emo party. Its a fun song but is quite difficult to take it seriously.
Almost like an abrupt gear change, the next track "She never made it to the emergency room" seems to be a more serious attempt, and in my opinion is the best song on the album. With a moving story driven by a great hook in the chorus, and tight instrumentals this song seems to be a strong step in the right direction. The band backtracks a little with "We put the fun in funeral", which is stylistically similar to "Just when you thought we couldn't get any more emo we go and pull a stunt like this" (That title is just too long), but with a somewhat more serious approach as far as lyrical content and composition is concerned. Following "We put the fun in funeral" is a filler track which serves to bridge the album, "Black". This track is a short interlude which is heavily punk influenced, consisting of spoken word and rough, angst-y screams, coupled with a blasting wall of sound from the instrumentals.
"Apocolips" is the 6th track, and again shows the band's more serious style. This song, like "She never made it to the emergency room", tells a tragic story. The song deals with its dark subject matter with straightforward, well written lyrics and good instrumentation to drive the song forward. Finally, the close the EP,
"Schizophrenicannibalisticsexfest.com" really puts the band's horror metal and gothic style on full display, with a first peron perspective on the not-so-subtle content of the song, (see: Schizophrenicannibalisticsexfest). This track is well put together but, especially as a closing track, isn't as effective as "She never made it to the emergency room" or "Apocolips". All in all, the album is a good debut and has a few strong tracks which showcase the band's potential and its capabilities, although it seems unrefined and sometimes downright immature. I personally find this to be a great album, it just needs to be taken for what it is.
Pros:
Variety, showcasing different aspects of the band's style
Highlights the band's potential with songwriting and composition
obvious punk and horror influences
some moving lyrical themes
Cons:
underproduced
some immature lyrics
several areas fit the generic metalcore mold
the album is all over the place, a mashup of serious and comedic tracks
Recommended tracks:
She Never Made It To The Emergency Room
Apocolips
