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There was a time Motionless In White were being eyed up as one of the bands who could someday headline a venue like the Historic Crew Stadium. The turnout for their mainstage performance suggests its still not out of the question. After an already-solid turnout for Black Veil Brides, MiW greet a bustling stadium that go utterly feral as soon as the band arrive.
We spot no less than five concurrent circle pits in the crowd, one long strip seemingly running around half the length of the stadium. At one point, we spot a man in a cowboy hat twirling another on his shoulders like he’s trying out for WWE. Feeding on that energy, MiW kick things off with the scurrying beats of Meltdown, delivering a buffet of thumping rhythms and anthems loaded with barbed hooks.
Clearly, the guys acknowledge the significance of being on main stage and pull out all the stops. Streamers are fired out at the end of Meltdown and gouts of flame punctuate the set even as the sun sets a punishing temperature overhead. “We are not finishing this set without each and every one of you suffering the worst Bangover ever,” Chris Motionless declares with a grin, clearly relishing the opportunity to incite absolute bedlam.
In cutting their metalcore foundations with nu metal, industrial, goth and a few miscellaneous spices besides, MiW chuck up some diverse sounds throughout their set. New tune Afraid Of The Dark has more than a whiff of the grandiose, sweeping epic energy of Gothenburg melodeath – sounding absolutely massive as a result – while the militaristic stomp of Rats being set against reedy synths brings to mind 90s industrial giants like Rammstein.
For all these comparisons, MiW don’t ever lose their own identity in the mix, their divisive swagger apparent in just about every song as a defiant “fuck you” to haters. Clearly, they’re having the last laugh and even the most ardent detractor would have to admit, their performance is massive.
