Settling into the more industrial sound they started transitioning into with Infamous, Motionless in White deliver a more assured and consistent performance on their third album, Reincarnate. Blending the dark and seedy edge of Marilyn Manson with a driving, melodic edge, the album effortlessly combines the styles of the band's previous efforts, creating an explosive sound that feels more fully realized than anything they've done up to this point. From the outset, the thing that listeners will be initially taken aback by is how massive the record sounds. Songs like "Reincarnate" and "Dark Passenger" are packed floor to ceiling with monstrous guitars, twisting synth lines, and explosive drumming, giving the music a density that would be overwhelming without Motionless in White's knack for melody, which allows them to hook in listeners to even the most foreboding passages with ease. Not content to go at it alone, Reincarnate features some solid collaborations, with Cradle of Filth's Dani Filth dropping by on "Puppets 3 (The Grand Finale)," In This Moment's Maria Brink lending her vocals to "Contemptress," and Tim Sköld sitting in on "Final Dictvm." With the album running close to an hour, the guest spots help to add a little something different here and there, mixing things up before they have a chance to go stale. With so much going on, however, it's hard to see how any Motionless in White fans could be bored with the offerings laid before them on Reincarnate. With so much confidence and gothic swagger, it's hard not to be entertained by this album, and listeners who may have been thrown by their inconsistent early work would do well to dive back into the abyss with this third effort.
© Gregory Heaney /TiVo