Review Summary: Fans hoping for a return to Creatures may not get it, they will get something that tries to bridge the gap between Creatures and Infamous and move the band's new sound forward at the same time.
Motionless in White have embraced a new style with each release, building on the Gothic Metalcore that gained them extensive popularity, and building on the Industrial influences that have caused controversy among fans.
A little bit of background; Motionless in White blew up on the "scene" with 2010's "Creatures", a typical Metalcore record with some more uncommon aspects such as a horror/goth influence and electronics which actually built an atmosphere and added to he songs' feeling, rather than simply providing cheesy synth breakdowns and EDM passages. Their next album, "Infamous" alienated many fans with its heavyier, Manson-esque Industrial influences. Their third full length, "Reincarnate", takes this sound and refines it, bridging the Metalcore of "Creatures" with the Industrial Metal elements of "Infamous".
The album is heavily driven by electronics provided by keyboardist Joshua Balz. Each song uses his brand of synth to drive the atmosphere, which is nicely done, very well produced and really gets the Industrial, Gothic sound across. Balz does more of what he did on Infamous, and does it louder and with more presence. The rest of the musicianship is approached in similar fashion, retaining the heavy Industrial sound of Infamous. The band takes this sound and rethinks its application. The music on Reincarnate utilizes the sound of Infamous and adds a heavier, more aggressive feel to it. Lyrically, Chris "Motionless" Cerulli again treads familiar ground; horror themes and relationships. However the content of his lyrics have matured, relying on less shock value and profanity. His vocal style is extremely varied across the album, Reincarnate relies more on clean vocals than their prior material, and Chris's cleans take on many forms throughout its course. His screaming is more varied on the individual tracks, making use of high screams and deep growls to show changes of intensity in the songs. His cleans range from the Manson style he employed on much of Infamous to a rock/nu-metal style reminiscent of styles such as Breaking Benjamin and Korn.
The album opens up with "Death March". This track has a striking Manson feel to it, and employs much of the same style as was common with Infamous. Next is the first single, the title track "Reincarnate". This song really defines most of this album. "Reincarnate" showcases the band's new crossover sound with precision, making heavy use of Industrial heaviness blended with a Metalcore structure and driven mainly by clean vocals. The next track is the final link in the Puppets trilogy which has spanned 3 albums, "Puppets 3". Dani Filth makes what at first can seem like an out of place appearance on this track. This is probably the black sheep of the album, it is straightforward metalcore reminiscent of Creatures, albeit with a more extreme metal influence brought on by Filth and continuing the tradition of the "Puppets" songs being among their heaviest material.
Following "Puppets 3" the band continues back on track with songs that are more consistent with the title track. "Everybody Sells Cocaine" takes this sound and utilizes the more Manson-esque vibes which have become a defining feature of this band. "Break the Cycle" and "Dark Passenger" are heavier tracks, with a faster, heavier and more aggressive approach. Sandwiched between these tracks is the interesting song "Contemptress", featuring Maria Brink of In This Moment. This song is a heavy track, but the vocal presentation is less aggressive, relying on more cleans and stressed screams rather than growls. Maria Brink's screamed passages are her typical, high pitched screeching scream, and her singing is more melodic. She transitions from singing to screaming fluidly, and her part is nicely done in the track.
Following "Contemptress" is the albums slower song, "Wasp". This mammoth of a ballad is around seven minutes in length. While the track is well done musically and the lyrical content is interesting, its softer approach and its length can make it feel slightly boring or stale around halfway through. The final 3 tracks again revert to the sound showcased on "Reincarnate". "Dead as ***" is one of the heavier songs, and it comes off almost as a sequel to ".com Pt. 2" or "Hate***" lyrically. "Final Dictvm" is a more Industrial sounding track, relying very heavily on synth for its ever present atmosphere. Tim Skold features as a guitarist on this track, but there isnt really anything that stands out or is definitive about his role in the song. The final song, "Carry the Torch" is one of the heaviest on the album, and makes more use of screamed vocals than some of the other songs. This track is more clearly a bridge between Infamous and Creatures, with a clear sing/scream arrangement and a more metalcore sounding vibe to it, while still retaining the Industrial sound of Infamous and Reincarnate.
All together, the album is probably the biggest step towards a more unique, definitive sound for the band. It is more accessible than much of their previous work, and overtly attempts to crossover to broader genres. It comes out to be an interesting listen and shows improvement by the band and more maturity than some of their earlier material. The sound is still recognizable Motionless in White, but with much refinement and expansion. Motionless in White tried to branch out with Infamous, and they have moved forward from there with this album. Reincarnate is a good listen and shows the band's desire and ability to grow and evolve as they continue their career.
