ROADRUNNER RECORDS
JULY 17
https://motionlessinwhite.lnk.to/Decades
Motionless In White (MIW) are one of those bands for me that I have always known and heard about, but until now, never actually took the next step of sitting down to listen to their music. It’s not lost on me that these guys are massive and I probably should have spent more time getting to know them, but as they say, better late than never.
Which is why I have tried to continue on my path of avoidance in honour of sitting down to digest this, the band’s seventh offering, Decades.
Opening with the title track, MIW waste no time with pleasantries as a wall of stuttering menace is quickly overshadowed by a piercing scream from frontman Chris Motionless who barks “Is that all you’ve fucken got?” before unleashing a viscious tirade of contempt that sits neatly in between the intensity of the swirling samples and the sporadic musicality that is unrelenting and, in a strange way, inviting.
And yes, before you say it, I am already wondering why and how the fuck I have neglected these guys for so long.
There’s so much going on with this opening track, with MIW showing scant regard or respect for convention or expectation. This is right up there with the best openers I have heard on an album, acting as both a segue and a challenge of acceptance into what has been widely regarded as one of the most anticipated releases of 2026. And it has already justified that expectation after just one slab of indifference.
log_in//crash_out opens with a menacing bout of electronics that flirt dangerously atop the drums and guitar, enticing Chris from the shadows and back into action. Rather than continue on the path to sonic destruction started with Decades, log_in//crash_out offers up a bout of heaviness from a different angle.
Yes, it is heavy as fuck. But it also has a fair amount of cleans and an uplifting vibe that doesn’t feel out of place in tandem with the massive breakdowns and down-tuned guitars. These guys definitely aren’t one-trick ponies.
The first of the album’s collaborations is next, as Skylar Grey lends her voice to R.I.P. Skylar introduces the song with a wave of sonic beauty, fading into the background as Chris Motionless joins the party, his voice now soft and full of mournful sorrow. Their voices balance and harmonise well with each other, creating a momentary lull in an otherwise seething pool of apathy that has provided the initial nucleus of the album.
Fight Like Hell sounds like going into war as a chunky guitar riff is soon engulfed by electronics that pave the way for Chris to enter the fray. He toggles through the vocal gears, switching between rap-infused anger and outright hostility without flinching, spurred on as drummer Vinny Mauro lays down the law, acting as a peacemaker of sorts by offering sporadic distractions in both mood and tempo.
Corey Taylor from Slipknot lends his voice to the next track, Playing God, and I have to admit this is the main song I have been looking forward to. A splattering of tribal tinged drumming does little to calm Taylor down before uttering a single note as he comes out swinging at seemingly anything and everything, displaying a ferocity of spirit that has been increasingly lacking in his recent musical outputs.
He and Chris form a devastating point of attack, somehow managing to keep pace with the frenetic double kicks laid down as a central point by Mauro. This track is every bit as engaging as you would hope, but despite the obvious appeal of the two duelling vocalists, it’s the musical nuances and accompanying deviations that elevate this from a great song to a sen-fucken-sational slab of musical agility.
All That I’ve Ever Known breathes life courtesy of more electronics, which are by now obviously a strong part of MIW‘s musical DNA. And I have to say they have mastered the art of spreading electronic elements throughout their music to enable them to feel like a vital part of the journey. I know that personally I often feel overwhelmed by bands that over-use or over-emphasise electronics, but in the hands of MIW, such additions only serve to add atmosphere, feeling and vitality.
Anthony Martinez joins the band for the next track Blood Rave amid an urgent swirling of said electronics that soon dissipate enough to carve a path for Chris to show off the cleaner, more approachable components of his talent. While this is a much more pleasant track courtesy of Chris‘s tempered vocals, there’s still enough animosity at play here, punctuated by brief blasts of aggression that stay long enough to make things uneasy, but not too long to invite danger. It’s a fine line, and I’m fucked if I would be able to find it, but MIW have it down to a fine art.
Love At First Bite could be a nod to the fanged ones who walk amongst us and opens with the eerie tones of a grand piano awash with synth to create a sense of foreboding before the vocals even kick in. But that’s as gothic as MIW are going to get, as things turn into a light shuffle, sweeping through the air as this track turns more mainstream despite the subject matter.
Which, as it turns out, isn’t about being devoured by the Great Count, but is more an admission of guilt by the band that they are “suckers for a good time.” Nice touch.
Count Back From Zero arrives layered with electronics before an unseen timer runs out and Chris hoarsely whispers “boom” into the nothingness, announcing the arrival of a strangely alluring hybrid featuring the basics of doof atop a gathering storm of electronics and drums that is difficult to categorise. So how about we don’t, and just take the song at face value?
This is the type of track that I had always associated MIW with. A more sanitised, radio-friendly version of their psyche that has undoubtedly earned them many of their fans. But then, without warning, a darkly sinister tone takes Chris over, leading to a tasty breakdown and sending Count Back From Zero reeling into the abyss of miscontent. It’s a sudden and brutal musical shift that continues until the song’s finale, offset by the initial serenity that started this journey.
I think I have changed my mind about that one being radio-friendly…
I just had to scroll back through the track listing as I see that Blood Pact is next, but no, MIW haven’t doubled up here because while the earlier song also featured Blood in the title, that one took place at a Rave, while this one could possibly involve something more inviting.
Blood Pact starts with an industrial feel that only strengthens with the demonic vocal intro that sees Chris scream with a pained hostility before pulling back into a more deliberate and measured delivery that is voiced at a pace that suggests importance. There is so much experimentation within the walls of Blood Pact that it is difficult to convey without actually experiencing the mechanisms at work, so best I give up before taking you all down the wrong path. Banger of a song, but something tells me it will be digested in a multitude of ways depending on your mindset when you listen.
Afraid Of The Dark breathes life on the back of gentle electronics until Mauro viciously assaults his kit and sets about dismantling the very fabric of nature. This forces Chris to match intensity, and he doesn’t fuck around, bolting out of the blocks in what starts like a 100 yard spring. This inevitably slows to a mid-paced jog as the chorus kicks in, giving us a moment of respite to regain our faculties. But not much.
Alternating between full-blown aggression and tempered anger, Afraid Of The Dark is everything that is beautiful about music. Breakdowns, tempo changes, catchy as fuck choruses and enough menace to scare Chuck Norris back to life. My pick of the album so far.
Something tells me that MIW were in a Lost Boys phase of their life when writing Decades, as the next track rolls out with the title Sunglasses At Night. Which would explain all of the gothic-inspired synth moments…
This one instantly reminds me of the Eurythmics until I find myself feeling a touch silly as Chris eases into the picture, even sounding a touch like Annie Lennox. Yes, this is a cover of the song from the Lost Boys soundtrack, but deeper research informs me it was actually Corey Hart who performed the original. I stand corrected.
But who gives a fuck who sang it first, because MIW are in charge of this version and they honour the original by not tampering significantly with the DNA that fuelled the instantly recognisable classic. Quite often, bands feel the need to put their own touch when covering a song – and rightfully so – but sometimes you don’t mess with perfection, which is exactly what MIW have chosen to do. It most definitely sounds like them the whole time, but it also sounds like the cheesy 80’s synth/pop song it was always intended to be. Just with an extra slice of lemon.
The final two songs are both bonus tracks – Hollywood and Fight Like Hell (ft Outlier) -, and while I have most certainly given them a blast, there’s nothing like a bit of mystery in this world. Which basically means that some things you have to discover for yourself, and if you want to know how good the two bonus tracks are, you are just going to have to grab the album when it comes out on July 17…
