Motionless in White’s ‘Graveyard Shift': An Album to Die For with Nostalgia to Live For
Within the first 10 seconds, my mind was transported to the music of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson circa 1994-1998. By one minute and seven seconds into the album, I knew that it was not just the song playing was something that I loved, but that the album was going to surpass any of my expectations. With a track listing set up much like a set list that I would expect to see at a live show, Motionless in White's newest album release "Graveyard Shift" is something to die for.
I swung by the FYE location at Colonie Center, as the store's currently having a HUGE sale (30-70% off), and picked up a copy of "Graveyard Shift." It's an album that I've highly been anticipating since seeing Motionless in White live at the Palace Theatre [on the "Half God/Half Devil" Tour with In This Moment].
The first thing that I noticed was that the previously released and successful "Loud," "570," and "Eternally Yours" were all located in the last four tracks in the album. Almost as if leaving anticipated fan favorites as an album 'encore,' I was even more intrigued to see what the full album entailed.
What I found was an album full of diverse sounds, maintaining heaviness amongst melodies, and an essence of occult-type themes with a uniqueness that makes it stand out amongst other current rock releases. With that uniqueness in place, it also draws a similarity to the likes of older Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, with a mix of 'spookiness' and industrial sounds. This similarity created almost a feeling of nostalgia for past rock while igniting a spark of passion for modern rock.
Before I knew it, the 12 songs on the album had ended and I found myself listening on repeat over and over, trying to absorb everything that I had just heard. There are songs with lyrics that very much match the Halloween-theme stage production that the band has performed with, such as track 6 entitled "Not My Type: Dead As F**k 2." There are songs with an energy of modern rock such as "Loud," melodic romantically dark songs such as "Eternally Yours," and songs full of pure power such as "Rats."
For a 90s rock fan like me, who indulges in the likes of Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and Rob Zombie, this album is the perfect fix.