ALBUM REVIEW: Scoring The End Of The World – Motionless In White
The end of days is something humanity has discussed since the beginning of days. Our penchant for the morbid has always been a fascinating trait to dive into. One band which fully leans in to this odd curiosity is MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. Recently, they returned to the metal world with the aptly titled Scoring The End Of The World.
Following 2019’s acclaimed Disguise, Scoring The End Of The World offers 13 tracks of wall to wall apocalyptic energy. Disguise set the bar high for the Scranton quintet. Hailed as the record of their career, the band were hellbent on proving it wasn’t a fluke.
“All hail the end of time” Chris Motionless barks across a churning sea of catchy riffs in electro driven Meltdown. In a track which sets the tone for the rest of the record, Meltdown is MOTIONLESS IN WHITE recreating the magic they conjured with Disguise. While Motionless’ vocals border on being too autotuned, the vocalist is on fire as he channels the fear and rage we all felt within the pandemic. With the oppressive chug of Rick Olsen’s guitar, the mosh call of “contagion” is a wonderful irony, bringing bodies together during a time when social distancing was king.
With a sizeable five studio albums already under their belts, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are a band who knows their identity and what they should sound like. With that in mind, there is always room for perpetual improvement. Sign Of Life fits perfectly into the metalcore mould with its guitar and synth led intro. Melancholy lyrics unravelling the effect a bad apple can have on the soul meander between cleans and rap sections. The work this band have put into honing their craft results in a beautifully infectious chorus which talks about “when numbness and pain are synchronised” in a moment which will bring fans together in the live arena. While Porcelain may seem like more of the same with its gentle intro, the dark bloom after the second verse shows hints of gothic metal which we lap up.
At the crux, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are still a horror themed metal band. Werewolf and Slaughterhouse quench our thirst for gore. Werewolf opts for the more obvious references to the beloved horror genre with its slow burn electronics which could be mistaken for a club tune. Motionless’ vocals come with a salacious rasp. Across the smorgasbord of sexy synths and beats from Vinny Mauro, the call-backs come in abundance. Whether it be to the literary Frankenstein, the DROWNING POOL-esque “let the bodies hit the dance floor”, or the sample of ROCKWELL’s Somebody’s Watching Me, Werewolf is a fun listen.
At the other end of the spectrum, Slaughterhouse is uncomfortable and chaotic. The riff goes straight for the jugular. Tech metal influence reigns supreme as time signatures blend into one another. With talk of “fascist pigs” who are a slave unto themselves disguised in the land of the free, it’s clear this is an aggressive anthem of rebellion. Featuring Bryan Garris (KNOCKED LOOSE) Slaughterhouse is arguably the song of the record. From beginning to end, the oppression it houses is hard to escape. The final gasps of the song grab us by the spine and force us to listen to the relentless grinding guitars as another wails above, the band saw coming ever closer.
It’s not all fun and games in the horror genre for MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. Another core theme of Scoring The End Of The World is the unavoidable fact humanity is far from perfect. Recent single Masterpiece catches a soul wanting to make their wrongs right. “I need to heal what I inflict” sparks a metallic chug which ignites into a stereotypically huge chorus. Stereotypical may have negative connotations in most examples, but this isn’t one of those times. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE have found their formula and capitalised on it, creating a soul bearing song which culminates in the moment sadness becomes rage in the form of a crushing breakdown. Mirroring this notion, Cause Of Death exposes the destructive nature of co-dependency. With the relationship turned sour, the vocals are ferocious in nature. The instrumentals beneath undulate and subtly hook into us the way a narcissist would. We don’t realise until the collision of spiky rap sections and scathing screams that this song has us by the metaphorical balls.
In somewhat of a rarity, single Cyberhex is a highlight of the record. With its perfect blend of metal and electronic, the song is simply massive. There’s a reason it took the live circuit by storm when the band recently took it out on a recent US tour. A sentiment which bleeds into Red, White & Boom. Featuring BEARTOOTH’s Caleb Shomo, this pulls exactly zero punches. The scathing lyrics attack the land of the free or “the sick and depraved”. Though the state of American politics has long lost its shiny lustre, this exposé is a brutally honest one. Ferocity is the name of the game as Shomo bellows “we’re swinging from a rope”. Though this balloon is deflated as a softer intermission sifts through. Not in terms of pianos and choral vocalisations but dialled back riffs and tempered drums. An odd choice but one which is rectified after half a minute.
We’re left with a simple question as the 49-minute run time elapses: has MOTIONLESS IN WHITE replicated the success of Disguise? The answer is no. They have exceeded it. The phrase “album of their career” isn’t one we here at Distorted Sound throw around lightly. With Scoring The End Of The World however, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE have earned that accolade. They’ve stumbled across their golden key and opened the door to a new age for themselves. Disguise may have been the launch pad, but this record shoots MOTIONLESS IN WHITE into their own stratosphere.
Rating: 9/10
Scoring The End Of The World is out now via Roadrunner Records.
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