Phoenix definitely put the sweat in The Sweat and Blood Tour when Motionless in White brought their massive production to Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre this week. The massive metalcore outfit was joined by Lorna Shore and Fit for a King for a lengthy display of the scene’s heavier talents.
The sun was still up when Fit for a King took the amphitheatre stage to show the crowd some proper Texas metalcore. The pit was already full by the time the band emerged and fans showed plenty of energy in response to “Blood Pact”, “Lonely God” and more. FFAK may have only had time for a handful of songs, but their set was a memorable addition to the night’s stellar lineup.
Backed by a blinding wall of red and yellow lights, Lorna Shore stormed onstage for their direct support slot. The band occupied the deathcore spot for this tour and the pit went wild when “To the Hellfire” kicked in. Bodies began flying over the barricade as the fans threw themselves into the set. The band’s unique vocal style could be heard from across the amphitheatre before their brief but wild performance ended with “Glenwood” and “Prison of Flesh”.
Motionless in White simply does not care about their detractors and they turned The Sweat and Blood Tour into a celebration of who they are as a band and how far they’ve come in their career. The stage was transformed as massive screen walls appeared, columns of flame erupted at the edge of the stage and the band’s cyberpunk-inspired dancers showered the front row in sparks- and this was all just within the first song.
The band was decked out in their signature horror-esque makeup, leering at the crowd as they went wild for “Playing God” and “Meltdown”. Motionless really leaned into the campier aspects of their band, projecting various hateful comments and comedic web searches onto the screens behind them to prove all those haters wrong in front of over 7,000 screaming fans.
Motionless also treated fans to the live debuts of songs from their latest album, merging fan favorites with the vision they have for their future- all of which was received with equal fervor. Their cover of Corey Hart’s “Sunglasses at Night” was wonderfully cheesy and fun (and proof that hardcore can be just a little silly when it wants to be). The band was later joined by FFAK’s Ryan Kirby for a brutal live rendition of “Slaughterhouse” before the set eventually came to a close.
Diehard fans braved intense heat and a sea of moving bodies to rock out with Motionless in White this week and the band gave as good as they got. With a solid history in Arizona and even bigger crowds as the years have gone on, their next visit to the desert will surely be another night to remember.
