LIVE REVIEW: Motionless In White @ O2 Institute, Birmingham

From personal trials to band triumphs, how does one even fathom a decade of such incredible ups and excruciating lows? It’s a hard one to define, but one thing is definitive – nothing has stopped the MOTIONLESS IN WHITE machine from driving forward. 2019 alone saw the Scranton collective drop fifth and critically acclaimed album Disguise which served as a sonic representation of their urge to purge, tour with shock rock heavyweight ALICE COOPER and hit one million views in under a week with latest video Another Life. And as they return to Birmingham for the penultimate show of a six-date UK run on The Disguise Tour, they’re looking to close out 2019 in fearless “fuck it” style.

“Birmingham! You guys are incredible. You’re so much better than London!” DEFYING DECAY vocalist Jay Poom Euarchukiati announces to a modestly filled O2 Institute. It’s a fatuous remark (albeit one that may have been amended accordingly as per city) but it’s greeted with unequivocal delight as the Thai natives explode on stage amongst a barrage of blastbeats, skittering electronica and nu-metal-esque downtuned riffery. Pulsing beats and retina-popping strobes collide as the lyrics to LINKIN PARK juggernaut Faint are screamed back at eardrum-splintering volume; the band constantly encouraging the crowd to bounce, throw the horns and split the room in half towards the conclusion of their thirty-minute set. The pace rarely falters until the revellers are asked to “put your lights up” which marks the jump-off for the cinematic sprawl of melancholic slow-burner Ghost, transforming the venue into a sea of lighters and illuminated smartphones. Channelling his inner Jonathan Davis on occasions and with a sound that sits somewhere between CROSSFAITH and early 00’s metalcore, it’s a performance brimming with equal parts energy and emotion.

Rating: 7/10

The creative force behind his namesake industrial metal project, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Tim Skold has been a fixture on the scene since the early 90s. Having performed in and alongside bands like KMFDM and MARILYN MANSON, he’s also known for lending his ear in terms of production and co-vocals on MOTIONLESS IN WHITE album Reincarnate. And as SKOLD, the order du jour is an exuberant melange of thumping rhythms, schizophrenic synths and vicious riffs served at warped speed. Casting an intense, dark-eyed stare across a temporarily transformed-into-a-rave space under a shock of blonde spikes, he’s part haunted and part unhinged as electronica-spliced beats drop like unexploded bombs. Material from current release Never Is Now is eerily reminiscent of NINE INCH NAILS – granted, there are instances where if you closed your eyes you could sway to those upbeat, heady guitars and be fooled into thinking Trent Reznor was in session. Influences on sleeves aside, Small World is a bonafide industrial rock banger with serious anthemic heft; those “Disneyland must burn / We’ll set the world on fire tonight my love” refrains reverberating around the venue.

Rating: 7/10

From 2010’s goth-drenched, cult-cut-filled classic Creatures to the present day, Scranton’s MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are on course to end 2019, and a decade together, in career defining style. It’s the penultimate date of a 22-date tour run spanning Russia, Europe and finally the UK, and the anticipation swirling around this now packed-out room is as thick as the plumes of smoke shrouding the stage. One glimpse of charismatic talisman Chris ‘Motionless’ Cerulli sends this ecstatic audience into instant overdrive as the tongue-in-cheek insouciance of party anthem-cum-opener Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride incites pits and bodies slam gleefully into one another.

Decked out in suitably ghoulish attire entirely fitting of Friday the 13th, interaction from the painted-up frontman is frequent, engaging and the hordes encouraged to make their voices heard. Soft is the jump-off for a singalong that renders him inaudible whilst venue-wide chants ring out prior to Brand New Numb and </code>; both of which showcase Cerulli’s vocal chops and are duly embraced with all the energy and fervour of revered classics despite being from latest album Disguise. His subsequent cry of “So where can I find the old school MOTIONLESS crew in here tonight?” is immediately followed by Black Damask (The Fog)’s synth-drenched throb; its age never betraying its place in a setlist largely comprised of current-day material. A cameo appearance by Tim Skold for a rendition of rarely heard EDM stomper The Final Dictvm (from 2014’s Reincarnate) briefly transforms the Institute into a pulsing industrial melee and is another opportunity for older fans to enjoy the back catalogue before the melancholic strains of Eternally Yours brings the house (and the confetti cannons) down in suitably OTT and emotional fashion. It is a polished and passionate display from a band at the pinnacle of their musical game – the masks (and gloves) are off as MOTIONLESS IN WHITE hurtle towards 2020 in style.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Birmingham from Damian John Photo here: