"Creatures" - Motionless In White

Thank god for Entertainment or Death.

If it wasn't for the EOD tour and its stop in Columbia, I wouldn't have gotten to hear Motionless in White. And, considering that in the all of two and a half days since the show I've become hooked, I would have never known how much I was missing out on! One of the great things about the tour, though, was early access to MIW's new album, "Creatures," which drops officially tomorrow. I've listened - and listened, and listened, and listened - to this album, and MIW definitely didn't disappoint. I'm digging it all, right down to the album art (it reminds me of Tim Burton, but that could be a reverse effect). This six-piece (which is unusual in itself, but they have a keys player - Josh Balz - and a lot of modern bands lack that) certainly deserves the attention I guarantee they'll get following this killer album. Passionate, angry screams are backed with by intense instrumentals on all sides, but easily transfer to clean vocals backed by easier melody, demonstrating that Motionless in White is more than just a group of angry young people - they're a genuinely talented, deserving group of musicians.

I can't choose a favorite, but some of these songs really do just stick with you. My top three are probably...

"We Only Come Out at Night" - Pulled from their EP When Love Met Destruction, this track starts off with a quote from Bela Lugosi in Dracula. There is no better possible way to start off a song that's got vampire Halloween undertones. (That does not mean you should all go write a song about vampires and start with that. It will not make it good.) Being a huge classic horror fan, that start made this track an insta-favorite. More than that, though, the chorus just stays in my head. It's really good. Reading over comments from other listeners, I'm not alone.
"Puppets (The First Snow)" - This track hold my favorite lyric of the entire album. The line "I've never had the words to say, but I can quote them all" resonates in a beautifully poetic way, because I'm one of those people who seems to have a song for every occasion, but I can never put it quite as right as someone already has. Chris, beautifully said!
"Scissorhands (The Last Snow)" - YES. When I saw these guys in Columbia, they opened with the Edward Scissorhands theme music. So what better way to end the album than with a song about the classic film? I think I would have loved this song even if I'd never heard it, but the fact is, like everything else on this album, it's incredible.

Aside from my tops, songs such as "Abigail" (one that was shouted for by many members of the crowd) and "London in Terror" are incredible. The chanting in "Count Choculitis" is killer. Each word pounds through you, and leads into a GREAT song. I think you just have to love the title track, "Creatures," because, as it says in the album booklet, "all lyrics [were] written and submitted by fans". How many bands can say that? I find that totally awesome of the MIW boys.

So, to Chris, Angelo, Balz, TJ, Ryan, and Ricky: Well-fucking-done.

And to my readers: Get the fucking album. It's worth it. Don't believe me, listen at the band's YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/motionless1234.

You can also check out the band on
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MIWband
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/motionlessinwhite
or see my interview with Chris at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LltW0EWRaGo


Mari
marissa.billiet@hotmail.com
http://twitter.com/musiccrit
http://youtube.com/musiccritmari
7048686274

Entertainment or Death - 10/8/10

Three's a magic number, right? Third time's the charm. Three strikes you're out. It takes three to - oh, wait, nevermind. Anyway, with regards to the "Entertainment or Death" tour and myself, three was a magic number. It's a third chance I've had to see the headliners, Black Veil Brides, and the first I haven't missed. More importantly, though, it's the number of in-fucking-credible bands in the lineup.

Motionless in White (from Wilkes-Barre, PA) opened up the stage of New Brookland Tavern in Columbia, SC, and I knew it'd be good before they even stepped onstage - it had to be, with Edward Scissorhands music as an intro! Even though I hadn't listened much to these guys before the show, they certainly made a believer out of me. The energy with which they dominated the stage was incredible, and one could tell that they put a lot into their performance. Their love for what they were doing was obvious. The crowd clearly loved it to, because this was the only point in the night people attempted to mosh. (Admittedly, MIW's style was the most suited to the idea as well!) I walked out with their upcoming album, "Creatures," and have been listening to it ever since. Luck also gave me the chance to interview singer Chris Cerulli, which you can see here or just by clicking below!




William Control came next, and as a longtime fan of both Aiden and William Control, I was already pumped. WiL and Nicholas definitely didn't disappoint. WiL took his place as "The King of Disorder" (as he proclaims himself in his single from album Noir "I'm Only Human Sometimes"), becoming an absolute madman on the stage. His energy was balanced out with a dark passion and an absolute connection with the crowd. More than once he descended from the stage to the crowd, sending everyone into an absolute frenzy. I was stoked to sit down with WiL later in the night, to learn more about the man behind the music. I was totally impressed by his overall behavior and composure. He stands in absolute defiance of what a lot of people seem to feel a singer of his sort should be. You guys can see that interview here or below!



Black Veil Brides may have some of the craziest fans in ever. That was chaos - but not in an altogether bad way, I guess. Their army, decked out in warpaint (including myself; even though I didn't go in warpaint, I left in it, though  most was washed off between TJ of MIW's spit-water and Zombie Nicholas' water bottles), chanted for the band as the curtain stood between us and them, their chants proving that the end of the "Perfect Weapon" video was no joke. When the show began, the surge pinned those of us at the front to the stage - painful, but worth it. Andy jumped and moved like the music was inside of him, never faltering - even when his overexcited fans nearly made him topple. Jake and Jinxx were every bit as awe-inspiring a duo live as you'd expect from hearing them play recorded. The way their talent complemented each other was incredible. Relative newcomer Christian "CC" Coma rocked it all the way, and we got to see before the show that he's a pretty cool guy, talking on the phone to a fan who couldn't be there. Ashley Purdy was wild, playing up the camera (which was much appreciated, of course), and staying true to his "outlaw" title.

I've gotta say, with the individual styles of the three bands present on the EOD tour, one might think they couldn't possibly go together. Instead, though, this lineup meshed as well as or better than any lineup I've seen this year. Somehow they all complemented something about each other, and it gave fans a chance to be exposed to something totally new. I would never pass up the chance to work with any of these bands, in any capacity, again, because it was a truly incredible experience. If the "Entertainment or Death" tour hasn't yet hit your city, don't pass it up!

Pictures up now at http://bit.ly/bj5z6R!

Love to you all. Keep on kickin' ass.
Mari

marissa.billiet@hotmail.com
(704)-868-6274

Locals at Tremont Music Hall, August 26

A big part of Tremont Music Hall's draw on August 26 was the presence of Frankie Muniz as the drummer of headlining band You Hang Up. The spotlight shined just as brightly, however, upon Charlotte bands Matchgrip and The Decour, who reminded everyone that all bands start local and that locals can pack just as much of a punch.

Matchgrip got things started, and they caught a lot of attention for their unique sound. Blending vastly different musical backgrounds (influences range from classical to Dave Matthews and soul to Smashing Pumpkins), the band has developed an infusion that takes listeners by surprise and holds them captive. With singer Marc's powerful soul tone weaving in and out of melodic keys, fierce guitars, and pounding drumbeats, Matchgrip's first venue show proved them to be great musicians with incredible potential.

Next to the stage came The Decour. The members of this four-piece may be young, but they absolutely held their all. No strangers to the stage, the band radiated energy and confidence. An enthusiastic audience belted their songs back to them as they worked the stage. There were a couple of technical difficulties - a la picking up radio through an amplifier - but they carried on and pulled through easily, never losing their easy smiles and charms.