Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Motionless in White - When Love Met Destruction (2009)
The earlier Motionless in White can almost be considered My Chemical Romance gone Atreyu. Their all-black fashion is mixed with their screamed songs about heartbreak. They never really deserve to be sh*t on honestly. Motionless in White has really stood out in a scene where bands care more about cash and popularity than keeping their fanbase. Though despite their hard work and touring, their EP The Whorror was a low sinker despite a couple excellent tracks. Still they were hellbent to carry on...
Their second EP When Love Met Destruction was first independently released as an album that was only sold in touring festivals. After gaining some fans who want to see the album released to the world, it finally happened! ...Sort of. 6 of the tracks were re-recorded for the more well-known horror-themed metal/hardcore EP.
The original album version is more solid though, so let's start with the mighty title opener. The chorus was reused for the title track of their real debut album Creatures as their only own lyrics used in that song, as the rest are fan contributions. "To Keep From Getting Burned" has a dissonant synth breakdown, leading to the chorus that has lots of power and lyrics of love and loss, "It's hard to keep from getting burned when love is like fire", though not as strong as the background shouting of former guitarist/vocalist TJ Bell. Chris Motionless' vocals sound a bit nasal, but they still soar. "Ghost in the Mirror" has an earlier and more frequently used chorus. It's a good way to ease up on the tiring growls. The final breakdown has well-done gang vocals and the synths performed by Josh Balz. Those synths keep the song in shape and are never repetitive.
"Destroying Everything" is another great song leading up to an epic outro showing the best of Chris' earlier vocal ability. "'Whatever You Do... Don't Push the Red Button" has great melody in the chorus. Re-recorded from the Whorror EP, "She Never Made It to the Emergency Room" is more serious, and the best song here. A moving story gets you hooked along with the chorus and strong instrumentation. "Billy in 4-C Never Saw It Coming" is more ridiculous in the title, but it flows well, with an intense breakdown.
Later re-recorded for Creatures, "We Only Come Out at Night" continues the dark sinister sound, and the different synths sound really cool. They can do those synths better than Marilyn Manson. Also appearing in Creatures is the delicate ballad "City Lights", though under the name "Bananamontana", the true odd one out in the album. "The Seventh Circle" is just shameful filler. The second re-recording from their first EP, "Apocolips" is another more serious song with a tragic story in the lyrics. The dark lyrical subject is well-written with straight driving instrumentation.
If I were to give the EP version a percentage rating, it would be 56%. The album version I would give 70% for the inclusion of two re-recordings and one demo. Motionless in White gained some potential here, with a few redeeming aspects. Still those two earlier releases are my least favorites of one of the best bands of the scene....
Favorites: "To Keep From Getting Burned", "Destroying Everything", "She Never Made It to the Emergency Room", "We Only Come Out at Night", "Apocolips"