Album Review: Motionless in White – Graveyard Shift (Roadrunner Records)

Graveyard Shift is the 4th album from the American metalcore band, Motionless in White & the first on a major label. The album was released on May 5th 2017 via Roadrunner Records.

Motionless in White are a band that divide the metal community with their blend of metalcore, industrial & horror style metal. For every fan they’ve got another declaring them as ‘posers’. Regardless of your thoughts on the band they are gaining popularity. The question is will Graveyard Shift push them to even higher heights?

Rats, the opening song off Graveyard Shift is a very frustrating start. The electronica littered throughout & the Marilyn Manson vocals are horrible but when it hits, it hits really hard. Those moments are great & really get the neck muscles straining.

Motionless in White are a metal band with their fingers in many pies resulting in a bit of a mess that lacks a clear identity. Crushingly heavy some times while at others dropping enough electronica to make an Ibiza raver say ‘steady on’. Vocals that soar, death metal roars that get the gut rumbling or Manson-lite style warbles. It’s all a bit bland sounding when put together.

The first time things really start to get good is on Necessary Evil. A hooky & catchy tune, it stands out for Jonathan Davis guesting on vocals & absolutely killing it. The breakdown near the end is a serious floor filler & it serves as a great reminder that he can still give it his all.

However, it also has some of the dumbest lyrics of the entire album which is some task considering this is an album with many cringe-inducing lyrical moments.

“It’s my party & I’ll die when I want too, when I want too, when I want too”

“I wanna fuck your face with a switchblade”

“If she’s got a pulse then she’s not my type, yeah, If she’s got a pulse, if she’s got a pulse”

It would be easy to dismiss Graveyard Shift as nothing more than an attempt to rehash some of metal’s greatest hits but it has a decent amount of crushingly heavy tunes that blend melody well such as Soft, The Ladder & 570. All damn fine songs that encourage some serious horn throwing, head-banging behaviour.

Unfortunately there are also a few too many stinkers that wouldn’t get a reaction from a room full of hopped up caffeine addicts. Songs like Untouchable, Not My Type: Dead As Fuck 2 & Loud (Fuck It) are every bland melodic, heavy on the electronica, metal song ever.

There is talent in Motionless in White & Graveyard Shift has plenty of promising moments. It’s just the bad songs are really, really bad. They could do with taking themselves just a little bit more seriously.

Motionless In White – Graveyard Shift Full Track Listing:

1. Rats
2. Queen for Queen
3. Necessary Evil (feat. Jonathan Davis)
4. Soft
5. Untouchable
6. Not My Type: Dead as Fuck 2
7. The Ladder
8. Voices
9. Loud (Fuck It)
10. 570
11. Hourglass
12. Eternally Yours

Graveyard Shift is out now via Roadrunner Records & can be streamed/bought from most major music sites. You can also pick up the album & more on Amazon below.

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