The Alexandria Hotel is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in Los Angeles. Known for its numerous murders, constant ghost sightings, and mysterious abandoned wings, it is believed to be a ghoul gold mine. With its enchanted Valentino suite and ballroom, Alexandria proved to be the perfect place for industrial metalcore group Motionless In White to set the stage for their third studio album, Reincarnate.
Motionless in White has been a heavy force sweeping the midstream music scene for the past two years. Noted for their don’t give a fuck attitude and dark post-goth-rock aesthetic, the band were able to visually amplify the horror by filming the first video for their title track at the famous Alexandria Hotel. “Like many hotels, it’s rumored to be haunted,” explains frontman Chris Immobile, “but there’s one specific room [the Valentino Suite] in the hotel that I really wanted to work on with the photos and video for our album. We didn’t run into any creepy ghost experiences, but when you walk into that red room that we did our video in, you instantly feel like people have been murdered in there. it’s very, very heavy.”
Motionless cites artists such as Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson among the many influences in developing Reincarnate’s horror-movie-worthy sound. “We have always really liked the industrial metal scene,” he explains motionless. “With this record, we could really get into that world as much as we’ve wanted all along. we’re going to fully embrace that side of our band and stick with it, regardless of whether fans of the distorted tour are going to like it or not. we just wanted to do what we really wanted to do, and that’s definitely the main focus.”
although motionless in white accepts that not everyone may like their latest musical direction, they still want to show their greatest support and appreciation to their fans. “We’ve always been a band that has tried to give the fans a little bit more,” says Immobile. “You can go to the store and buy the record and that’s fine, but why not give a little more and increase the interest levels of the record?” The band had 11 miniature coffins representing 11 songs hidden away in some of the world’s most haunting places, including the Mass and Salem Death Museum. every half hour, the gang provided clues as to where each coffin was located, thus creating an international collaborative scavenger hunt. if a fan finds a coffin, they will simultaneously unlock a reincarnated track online for the rest of the world to listen to. “You had the feeling that other fans around the world were just rooting for the ones who were looking for each box,” he continues unmoving. “That was really cool and just an interesting way to release a record.”
reincarnate has this genius ability to distort the senses, constantly turning that creepy feeling of unease when the hair stands on the back of your neck into different riffs and vocals. After a rather shaky run with the group’s second album, Infamous, it seems as though he’s immobile, he can finally breathe easy with the latest hit, his band’s new and more developed sound, Reincarnation debuted at No. 9 in the top 200 of the billboard. “It’s definitely my favorite [album] we’ve ever done,” he says motionless. “The response has been very good considering how our last album was. the last album was a serious nightmare to record and write. we were really concerned about making sure that all the mistakes we made in the past were corrected on this record.”
This ghoulish aura doesn’t just stop with the gang, it travels immobile wherever he goes through his multitude of cool and spooky tattoos. “Right now, the only piece I’m working on is my chest and torso,” she says motionless about the latest tattoo her close friend, Megan Massacre, is working on. “I have been wanting to get a mega large piece of her ever since I got a tattoo. is this big house on a haunted hill with all kinds of pumpkins and creepy trees and fall stuff and stuff like that. it’s a great thing for us, as we have a shared interest in that sort of thing.”
Although Motionless may be covered in ink from head to toe, none of it turns out to be a white Motionless tattoo. “I wanted to have one,” she explains, “but I feel like if I had it now it would be like a kiss of death. maybe something would go wrong and that [tattoo] would be sealing a doomed fate. I don’t want to risk anything like that, so I’ll wait until it’s over and then I’ll get one to commemorate the experience.”
Superstitions aside, still in white can sit confidently with their latest release as they continue to ride a train of success. Though the band didn’t have any run-ins with ghosts or spirits during the making of the album, the seductive, horror-filled tracks of reincarnation are sure to keep the beat going.
Be sure to check out Motionless in White’s “Reincarnate” video here:
