Review Summary: Motionless In White has created a fun album that also expands on the group's many creative talents, even if it's weighed down by inconsistencies in style.
Motionless in White have been a prominent name in the metalcore scene for about seven years now. Their debut album, 'Creatures,' introduced their unique spin on industrial metalcore to the world. Their sound has been given many names over the years, with some even calling it "Gothic Metal" or "Horrorcore." Regardless, Motionless In White have left their mark on listeners. 'Reincarnate' is the latest effort from the band, and it's arguably their best. Motionless In White have expanded on their talents across the board, and delivered an album that features almost non-stop fun in the process.
The album starts off with "Death March," which leans a bit more on the industrial side of things, in the same vein as Marilyn Manson. It's an excellent track to begin the album, as the tone of "Death March" is a near-perfect segue into the rest of the album. There is something for almost everybody to love on this album. Do you prefer their metalcore sound? "Carry The Torch," "Puppets 3 (The Grand Finale)," and "Reincarnate" are perfect for you. Do you prefer their industrial sound? The aforementioned "Death March," as well as "Final Dictvm" and "Dead As F**k" are good for you. Do you prefer something in the middle? Then there's "Unstoppable," "Generation Lost," and "Break The Cycle."
All variety aside, the individual songs are crafted very well. The production is terrific throughout, and it doesn't feel as if any band member or instrument was forgotten in the mixing of these songs. Some of the most notable band members on this track are Ryan Sitkowski, for his consistently great guitar work, and most of all, keyboardist Josh Balz. His work with the synths accompany their respective songs perfectly. Take, for example, "Break The Cycle," whose synth melody is one of the highlights of this album as a whole. Even in other songs, (such as "Death March," "Reincarnate," and "Dead As F**k") his synth work stands out as a flawless accompaniment to Motionless In White's sound.
One of the album's finest qualities is much fun and catchy it is to listen to. It's difficult to listen to this album and not want to tap your foot or bang your head to it. Numerous tracks have the potential to get stuck in your head for days on end. In fact, songs like "Break The Cycle," "Generation Lost," and "Dead As F**k" are some possibly the band's catchiest songs to date. While the songwriting on 'Reincarnate' isn't always terrific, it's never bad or cringe-worthy enough to ruin the rest of the song. Some of the weakest songwriting on this album is in the songs "Everybody Sells Cocaine" and "Dead As F**k," and yet they're still very fun and memorable.
One of Motionless In White's biggest criticisms as a band, especially for this album, is their unwillingness to commit so a single sound. It's not difficult to hear the influences that Marilyn Manson, Breaking Benjamin, Nine Inch Nails, and even Rob Zombie have had on the band's sound. There are points in this album that rest in the gray area between allowing other artists to influence your sound, and replicating the sound of other artists. For example, as fun of a song as it is to listen to, the beginning of "Dead As F**k" sounds like it was taken from the beginning of a Rob Zombie track. Also, there are numerous occasions where lead vocalist Chris Motionless channels his inner Marilyn Manson, such as on "Death March," "Reincarnate," and "Generation Lost." While the variety in sounds can be enjoyable to listen to, it does weigh the album down a bit, as it's less impressive to hear sections of songs that feel pulled from another artist's discography.
The only other faults in this album are admittedly finicky. For example, "Wasp" is a few minutes too long, and the synth melodies of "Break The Cycle" and "Dark Passenger" sound a bit too alike. Also, Maria Brink's feature on "Contemptress" is underwhelming and unnecessary; it feels like the song would have been perfectly fine without her.
Ultimately, if Motionless In White can take what they did well with this album and make it unique to their own style, (without too much influence from others) they could make a lasting mark on the metalcore scene for years to come. 'Reincarnate' is probably Motionless In White's most accessible and fun album to date, and it's exciting to see what they will release in the future. Even though the album is dragged down by an over-reliance on other artists' sounds, 'Reincarnate' is Motionless In White's best album.
also Dani Filth on Puppets 3 fucking rules
