From a press release:
It was announced today that, as they begin their next national tour, Scranton metal band Motionless In White will stop for a meet and greet with hometown fans at Gallery of Sound on Friday, July 17, the day their new album “Decades” is released via Roadrunner Records.
A CD or vinyl copy must be purchased from Gallery of Sound (186 Mundy St., Wilkes-Barre) to guarantee entry, which starts at 1 p.m. Pre-orders are available now in-store or online at galleryofsound.com. Attendees can get autographs as well as a picture with the group, though space is limited.
Last month, the band shared their latest single, “R.I.P.,” featuring Skylar Grey. The track evokes the power of a lover’s lament inscribed on a headstone. Piano twinkles through the haze of funereal synths, where the dual male/female vocals entwine on an epic chorus boosted by soaring harmonies.
“Skylar’s voice brought it to another level that I never could have achieved on my own,” vocalist Chris Motionless said.
“I really love the lyrics for this song. Even though I wrote it through a romantic lens, I love that it can be applied to any moment in your life when you’ve had a falling out with someone you deeply care about, whether that’s a best friend, family member, or romantic partner.”
They also released a music video with both singers directed by Jensen Noen, who also shot the “Werewolf” and “Sign of Life” videos from MIW’s previous record, 2022’s “Scoring the End of the World.”
“The song really hones in on the deafening silence that follows after you’ve said hurtful things to one another that you wish you could take back. It’s meant to capture the tension that exists in that quiet space of separation,” he continued.
“You want to apologize and make things right, but you don’t know how. You want to tell them you love them more than anything and can’t live without them, but there’s a lot of pain on both sides that has to be confronted first. All the while, you’re left with the crippling uncertainty of whether the relationship can ever recover and move forward, or if it’s destined to be laid to rest and gone forever.”
Motionless In White recently finished a spring arena tour with Bring Me the Horizon that saw them obliterate Madison Square Garden in New York City. Their next move is to return to the road to headline The Sweat and Blood Tour, promoted by Live Nation, with Lorna Shore, Fit for a King, and Static Dress as support.
Their first American headlining tour in nearly three years kicks off on July 14 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with stops in Charlotte, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and more before wrapping up on Aug. 15 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It also includes the Inkcarceration music festival in Ohio and a show at Red Rocks, the band’s first time headlining the venue.
Fittingly kicking off the night before Halloween in Worcester, Massachusetts and running through Nov. 20 in Pittsburgh, the second leg of The Sweat and Blood Tour will have Dayseeker as direct support, and The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Divine will also appear. MIW’s annual Apocalypse Fest, which started at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton in 2023 and continued at Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre in 2024 and 2025, will be held this year at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, Oct. 31.
For over 20 years, the quintet – Chris Motionless (vocals), Ricky Olson (guitar), Ryan Sitkowski (guitar), Vinny Mauro (drums), and Justin Morrow (bass) – have resided in their own shadowy corner of alternative music and culture. Their uncanny alchemy of metal, hardcore, goth, industrial, and electronic music has magnetically attracted an ardent audience, fueling a quiet rise out of the Rust Belt and into arenas as a headlining force of nature. Their DIY work ethic drives the evolution of an immersive world where stunning visuals match the scope of the sound. The collective comes full circle on their seventh full-length offering, “Decades.” For as much as it conjures their signature style, the LP sees them continue to confidently cut a path through uncharted territory, spreading a little darkness in their wake.
“Decades” features several high-profile and eclectic guest appearances, including Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour fame on the ferocious single “Playing God.”
“I can’t believe how aggressive Corey sounds,” Motionless declared.
“It’s an observational commentary on toxic Internet culture and the people who perpetuate it. The internet has gotten worse and worse to the point where only negativity, hatred, and lies are at the forefront of everything you see. It’s very frustrating because I thought social media was supposed to be a mechanism to connect, but all it does is divide.”
Sklyar Grey and Dark Divine’s Anthony Martinez also feature on the album. The band recorded these 12 songs in upstate New York and Los Angeles with co-producers Drew Fulk and Justin “JD” Deblieck and ultimately incorporated their past, present, and future sounds into one cohesive sound. This is MIW at their very best.
“We were never afraid to take risks,” Motionless noted.
“This band has not only lasted two decades, but we’ve also outlasted all of the obstacles we’ve faced. We’re still grinding. No matter how far we expand the universe that is Motionless In White, we’re going to preserve the heart, soul, and roots of where we came from. We are never going to abandon heartfelt, emotional, and heavy songs. We are never going to abandon what mattered to us the most when we started. We’re finding new ways to emphasize those stories with exciting sounds and looks, but the vision is the same. It’s always been this grand, dramatic, and theatrical entity. I’m proud we haven’t gotten comfortable.
“‘Decades’ is definitely heavier than some of our past albums. Our current world bred more aggressive energy, anger, and resistance.”
Learn more about Motionless In White and their humble beginnings in Northeastern Pennsylvania in an extensive interview with Chris Motionless in Episode 147 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
