Album Review: Motions – Motions

Teesside’s Motions have released their self titled debut album which has been a complete in house record from the writing to recording to producing and mixing. What we have ended up with is an album born out of the love of music and a coming together of some serious musical talents.

The band explain:

“We didn’t set out to write an album. It happened so organically and naturally that before we knew it we had 70% of an album written and recorded, so by that point it just felt like the right thing to do.”

A dark and nerve shredding start with the pounding of menacing drums brings the album to life. A hard hitting riff and an ear scrapping scream bursts through like a call to arms as first track ‘Six One Hundred’ introduces the band. The punishing run of verses are broken by the cleaner soaring choruses.

Single ‘Dead Seeds’ changes tack with a cracking guitar riff over powerful drums and the addition of female vocals courtesy of Krsy Fox. The guitars sound huge on this track and when Fox joins in the track touches epic taking on a life of its own that sees the albums start to take hold.

‘Vivid’ sees cleaner vocals take the lead as the band bring a heavy groove that works so well as that back line is so damn tight. The guitarist gets a moment to lay down a song enhancing solo before the song descends into chaos.

The band prove they aren’t just all just screaming and head banging with ‘Triplicate Space’ which sees the band bring in Synergy Official and Abi King on this electronic inspired emotive beauty. Keys are joined by twinkling elements and catchy percussion. A desperate guttural scream is the only thing that gives you a hint this is the same band. ‘Faceless’ does the same and you start to appreciate the way the band have incorporated in their influences especially the Deftones.

Starting like some 90s punk before blending in some nu-metal ‘All Together All Alone’ is a highlight that’s tucked away by the noise of the albums heavier tracks. Touching on mental health “This is about feeling lonely in company. Even with seemingly the best support network and family in the world, if you’re not settled in your own head, you can be crushed by loneliness.”

Starting with the short track ‘Fade In’, ‘Permanent Ghost’ is a percussive masterclass and an emotively charged piece of soaring metal beauty. Throbbing bass and driving chord heavy riffing lets the desperation flood out of the vocals. Another album highlight.

The face tearing metal returns with the frantic ‘Redeemer’ that is as furious as it is heavy, with apocalyptically low slung bass that crashes with the riff machine guitarist fretboard work. This charge carries on with ‘ATAC’ and sees the band take on social injustices, ‘The inherent greed displayed by the powers that be and their lack of understanding about real life’, something learnt from being a Teesside band I’m sure.

With album closer ‘Godless Moon’ we see a band working at full capacity here crafting something truly epic to end on. After a momentous build the track blows everything else away with the relentless groove and demented screaming. The track comes alive incorporating the best elements of the band, the deep veined heavy groove filled riffing with colossal atmospheric soundscapes. What a way to end.

The band bring something a little fresher to the metal genre. The range of singles taken from this album is a testament to that. From the brutal ‘Dead Seeds’ and ‘Redeemer’ to the more emotively charged ‘Permanent Ghosts’ and my favourite ‘All Together All Alone’, the band demonstrate they can do heavy as well as the best in the genre, but they really come to the forefront when they blend in emotion and more delicate elements.

Check out the bands track All Together All Alone, below: