Review: Timebomb – Motionless in White
- by Nicholas Gaudet
- in Reviews
In a surprise new single, Motionless in White returns to their roots with “Timebomb”, a true metalcore masterpiece through and through.
Motionless in White have been experimenting with many genres, usually blending traditional metalcore sounds with influences from Marilyn Manson and Slipknot, especially the former in the newer material. The industrial elements have always been present even on their first album, Creatures, onwards, but their move from that classic hardcore sound has been a smooth, natural progression in their tone. With this new single, however, they ditched the heavy-industrial ambience for a purely metalcore aesthetic. Chris Motionless sounds angrier than ever with his harsh vocals, growling and screaming along the complex guitar riffs and the fast drum thrashing. And of course, in typical metalcore fashion, the clean chorus is filled with soaring melodies and harmonies that will get stuck in your head the moment they enter your ears. The drums in the following verse are almost more akin to death metal than anything else, only to bring the song to a nostalgic chug-fest, again reminiscent of their earlier sound. This is also the cleanest Chris has ever sounded, both in pitch and feel. His clean singing is better than ever, and serves as such a wonderful contrast to his deeply raw harsh vocals. The bridge is arguably some of the heaviest Motionless in White has ever been, truly putting a nice bow to finish the package that is Timebomb.
Motionless in White has always been kickass in their own ways. Their fanbase has shifted with their sound, and to be totally honest, I lost out of touch with them through the years as my tastes also shifted. Stumbling upon their new single, Timebomb, however, proved to me that Motionless in White are FAR more badass than they ever were, taking all the experience they now have and crafting one of the greatest metal singles of 2021.
