Review Summary: The best of the worst.
Motionless in White is another of those bands (My Chemical Romance, Aiden, Atreyu, etc.) that gets a lot of *** that they don't deserve. They wear makeup, dress all in black, and scream their heads off about broken hearts and the undead, and to be honest, not a whole lot of people even look past the first thing I mentioned. While most bands that make music similar to this just cash in on the popularity of the scene, Motionless in White stand above it. They've worked hard to get where they are today, touring constantly and releasing an EP entitled The Whorror, which sunk faster than a lead boat would. However, they remained determined. Motionless in White independently released an album entitled When Love Met Destruction, which unfortunately didn't do much better than it's predecessor, but as Motionless in White became a part of an increasing amount of festivals and tours, they gained a steady fanbase, and decided to rerecord When Love Met Destruction, or at least a part of it. The result: a solid EP that stands far above the current 'horror influenced post-hardcore' scene.
'To Keep from Getting Burned' kicks When Love Met Destruction off with creepy synths and a dissonant breakdown that eventually cascades into a powerful chorus. Chris Motionless, the band's poorly stagenamed frontman, belts out your typical lost-love lyrics ("it's hard to keep from getting burned when love is like fire") amidst swooping octave chords. What the band lacks in lyrical content is easily made up for in the depth of the vocal department, as guitarist TJ Bell provides a hefty amount of background shouts and yells in all the right places. Chris's soaring vocals have a small amount of that typical 'nasally' sound, but it doesn't get annoying, which is most certainly a blessing in track two: 'Ghost in the Mirror'.
'Ghost in the Mirror' starts off in the same fashion as 'To Keep from Getting Burned' but the chorus comes in much earlier, and is used very often in the song. That's a good thing though, because Chris's throaty growls can be tiring to listen to after a few tracks. The gang shouts in the final breakdown are very well done, and the synths keep the song flowing. Josh Balz, the band's keyboardist, is great at keeping every song on the album afloat. They never get tiring or repetitive when he's got his lovely synth hooks around each and every corner.
'Whatever You Do... Don't Push the Red Button' and 'Billy in 4C Never Had it Coming' have more in common than their ridiculous song titles. They have a similar flow, except 'Red Button' has a great melodic chorus compared to 'Billy's intense breakdown. 'Destroying Everything' is great throughout, especially the epic outro that showcases just how great of a vocalist Chris Motionless can be when he puts his mind to it. 'The Seventh Circle' almost seems like filler, which is a shame considering the track record of the first five tracks.
While When Love Met Destruction does have many positive aspects to it, there are also quite a few flaws. There are only a few parts where the bass is audible, and the drums are your standard metalcore fare. The guitarists, however, play off of each other excellently, blending dissonant leads with breakdowns and hurling octave chords against chugging riffs throughout the entire EP. The keyboards also add a very unique touch, and aren't just used as faux-depth.
I have seen Motionless in White perform live, and despite their appearance, they are fantastic performers. Personally, I can't wait to see what they do with the potential they showcase on When Love Met Destruction, but with a full length scheduled for release in October, we won't have to wait long.
I give this EP a 2.8. Not quite good but not quite average. Like I said, Motionless in White have potential to be a really good band, as they already are ten times better than some of the bands they tour with. However, When Love Met Destruction has just as many shortcomings as it does redeeming qualities. At the moment, they're the best of the worst.
Recommended tracks:
To Keep from Getting Burned
Destroying Everything
