Following sold-out listening party, Motionless In White adds Gallery of Sound meet and greet in Wilkes-Barre on June 7
From a press release:
Last week, local active rock radio station 97.9X and the Gallery of Sound announced that Scranton metal band Motionless In White will return to their hometown area for a listening party celebrating the release of their new album, “Disguise,” at the F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, June 6. The event sold out within hours, so a second all-ages event has been added nearby for those who missed out.
An in-store signing and meet and greet will be held at the Gallery of Sound (186 Mundy St., Wilkes-Barre) this Friday, June 7 at 6 p.m., but space is limited. To receive a wristband to guarantee priority entry, fans must pre-order a copy of the album for $11.97 online at galleryofsound.com or in person at either Gallery of Sound location. The CD purchase includes a meet and greet with the band, a live Q&A session, and entry into a raffle to win a signed MIW guitar.
“Disguise” is Motionless In White’s fifth studio album and includes the recently released singles “Brand New Numb,” “Disguise,” and “Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride.” 97.9X will be on site to join in the Friday night festivities.
“We’re a band that came out of the small-town, blue-collar spirit,” vocalist Chris “Motionless” Cerulli said. “Both the area we come from and the fan base brought us to this point.”
These local appearances come a little over five months after the band sold out Levels in downtown Scranton, their first hometown club show in nearly 10 years. During the concert, they were joined by fill-in bassist Justin Morrow, who later left Ice Nine Kills to join MIW full time.
We show the world what we want the world to see. Expressions enshroud our emotions. Countenances conceal our concessions. As a result, truth only slips out in slivers and shards. Motionless In White withdraw any and all veils on their next full-length album, “Disguise,” on Roadrunner Records. The Scranton quintet – Chris Motionless (vocals), Ricky Horror (guitar), Ryan Sitkowski (guitar), Vinny Mauro (drums), and Justin Morrow (bass) – holds nothing back.
Unencumbered and unfettered, the musicians uncover their heaviest and most hypnotic body of work to date.
“We really aimed to write a serious record and wear our hearts on our sleeves,” Motionless exclaimed. “I don’t talk about things online or in public. Instead, I use our lyrics as a way to express what’s going on in my life and my feelings. Things have been great for us on the exterior, but there’s so much we had to work through together and personally behind the scenes. Everything comes out on ‘Disguise.’ I tried to give fans a look behind the mask and let them know what I’m dealing with on the inside as well as what they know of me on the outside.”
Listeners initially fell under the band’s spell in 2006. A pair of albums – “Creatures” (2010) and “Infamous” (2012) – sent shockwaves throughout the culture with a combination of big screen-worthy imagery and incisive songcraft. 2014’s “Reincarnate” crashed the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 at No. 9 and clutched No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart. The title track emerged as a signature staple, going Top 20 on Active Rock radio and racking up over 20 million Spotify streams.
2017 saw “Graveyard Shift” accelerate their ascension. Not only did the album claim real estate in the Top 30 of the Top 200, but it also produced a string of undeniable anthems. Tallying over 60 million cumulative Spotify streams, “Eternally Yours” crossed the 15 million mark as “570,” “Loud (Fuck It),” “Voices,” and “Necessary Evil” (featuring Jonathan Davis of Korn) all broke eight million. Alternative Press named the video for the latter “one of the best music videos of 2017.” Additionally, Alternative Press bestowed an A-score on the record and described it as the “best representation of Motionless In White.” Further critical acclaim came from Kerrang!, Rock Sound, Metal Injection, and many more. As a live force, the band packed venues for headline tours and supported the likes of Slipknot, Korn, Marilyn Manson, and Wilkes-Barre’s own Breaking Benjamin, to name a few.
In 2018, Motionless In White commenced writing for what would become “Disguise.” During November, they entered a Los Angeles studio with producer Drew Fulk (Lil Peep, Bullet for My Valentine). By the start of recording, they had amassed a wealth of ideas to build from. It marked the first time they reteamed with a producer on two successive records and the first time they had accumulated so much material.
Even as they “gravitated towards heavier and darker songs,” Chris Motionless points to a newfound level of confidence bolstered by the enthusiasm of crowds everywhere.
“Fans really responded to Graveyard Shift’s ‘Voices’,” the frontman went on. “I try to listen to what they like and what they don’t like. I recognized a common thread where they really love lyrics that represent personal struggles and triumphs. They clung to this one in particular, so it made me more comfortable with opening up about myself.”
The first single and title track, “Disguise,” allows him to do so. An eerie music box sets an ominous tone before gothic electronics entwine with thick distortion. The singer’s voice slips from haunting intonation on the bridge into a cacophonous scream before a sweeping refrain punctuated by promises, such as, “You will not put out the fire that burns within.”
“‘Disguise’ really speaks to the common theme,” he admitted. “It’s about my life, struggles, view on the world, what music does for me, and the connection we share between ourselves and fans. I’m letting everyone in. I’m dealing with a lot in my head. I often felt like I had to bottle up my emotions. It was like I was wearing a mask or a disguise. I don’t want to put the mask on to please others anymore.”
Meanwhile, “Brand New Numb” pairs raucous riffing and a danceable backbeat with a clarion call chant. An undead rocker, it climaxes on a dedication: “This one’s for the underdogs!”
“It’s one of the more fun tunes,” he goes on. “It’s dedicated to our fans and upholds a message of individuality and being oneself. The song represents that side of us and not worrying about what anyone thinks. It’s a little less aggressive and way more of an upbeat and good energy.”
Elsewhere, a screech of synths snaps into a guttural groove on “Code,” which “shows how music is the universal language and even strangers can mutually bond over it.” The trudging drums of “Legacy” underscore an uplifting and undeniable message for Chris Motionless.
“You’re climbing the mountain and jumping hurdles on your personal journey,” he elaborated. “We’re a lot better off as a band, but we’re still on this road. It speaks to the energy of moving forward, climbing higher, and not letting life’s obstacles get you down. You’re beating everything in your way. It’s a really relevant story to Motionless In White.”
In the end, this story gets more powerful as it becomes more personal.
“It’s the same message,” he left off. “I hope fans know there is a band out there who is fighting every day to represent the underdogs. We love being a part of their lives. To have audiences take something from what we do and it be genuine is all we ever asked for. I want to do what music did for me. I’m proud to say it feels like we have. Now I just don’t want to ever stop.”
