MUSIC REVIEW: IN THIS MOMENT – Mother

Label: Atlantic/Roadrunner Records

Release Date: March 27, 2020

Rating: 90%

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

In This Moment seems to mature with each release as they slowly transition their sound from their debut Beautiful Tragedy in 2007 to their latest, Mother, released just last month.  The disc kicks off with a cool interlude aptly titled “The Beginning” that unfolds with a rock vibe that incorporates a slight industrial vibe and helps lead us to the first full track.  The band nails a cover of the Steve Miller classic “Fly Like An Eagle.”  Maria Brink’s vocals combined with the heavy musical accompaniment gives the song punch without straying from the originals vibe.  The song seems to pop with the instrumentation that allows the band to put their stamp on the track.  Another cover makes an appearance on the disc, with a killer rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”  This version shifts from a rock anthem to a woman power anthem with the added vocal power of Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) and Taylor Momsen (Pretty Reckless), with the trio giving the song depth with their varied textures and styles.  “Born In Flames” opens with an ultrasound that morphs into an electronic ethereal piece that floats underneath the lead vocal and gets an injection of strength without getting “hard” as the band joins the fray as the song moves through the chorus and into the verse.  “Hunting Grounds” is a cool song that features a duet between Brink and Ded’s Joe Cotela, showing off another side of him vocally that we don’t typically hear.  Even when the band cranks up the energy, we still get vocals that are enjoyable and impactful without turning into growls, screams, or anything that you might expect.  This one grows on me more with each listen.

“The Red Crusade” is a very short interlude that takes us from the Steve Miller cover to the first full-length original track on the disc.  “The In-Between” is a track that has stuck with me from the first listen.  The groove of the track is different than a lot of the bands other material on this disc, but fits perfectly as it ties together a lot of the bands sound and musicianship from throughout its career without sounding rehashed or overdone.  The rhythm section tandem of  bassist Travis Johnson and drummer Kent Diimmel anchor the track and keep it from running away with itself on transitions between verse, chorus, and bridge.  Title track “Mother” is a cool song that has a beautiful piano interlude in the intro and underneath the mix throughout while also featuring some awesome vocal layering that gives the song depth.  The percussion from Diimmel gives the track a solid foundation that grows in stature once the Howorth and Weitzel add their guitar counterparts to the mix.  “God Is She” blends a lot of the sounds and textures the band has come to be known for without sounding repetitive.  The heavy bottom end featuring Johnson’s thunderous bass lines leads the charge and helps drive the track with some help from the layered guitars.  “Lay Me Down” is another track that shines in my opinion.  The shift in sound, texture, and energy gives it a flare that helps it stand out among the other tracks on the disc.  The guitar work is also some of my favorite, as it is different sonically than most of the music the band cranks out.

“Legacy” is a beautiful track that allows Brink to soar and show off her vocal prowess without overshadowing the music.  The guitar work on this track is some of the best on the disc, with the duo of Chris Howorth and Randy Weitzel laying down some great fretwork, especially on the bridge.  This song lends itself to what should be a powerful moment during a live set… if you close your eyes while listening to this one, you can almost see a venue full of lighters and cellphones waving in the air.  “As Above So Below” was the first track I heard from the disc and it is still as contagious now as it was then.  The cadence of the song gets the foot tapping and head banging from open to close, especially when the chorus kicks in.  The chorus is anopther spot on the disc where Maria’s vocals are given a little more room to run and show off her range and power.  “Holy Man” is an interesting track lyrically that features some slick production.  The track seems to ebb and flow from verse to chorus and back again.  The drumming and percussion stand out on this one during the chorus and into the bridge.  Disc closer “Into Dust” is an interesting piece to end the collection on, but then again, this band doesn’t do safe or ordinary.  The vocals on this one are stripped back for the most part, but the delivery is beautiful and demonstrates how powerful Brink is even when she is pulling back and just allowing her voice to shine in its natural state.  Once again, In This Moment delivers a winner… now let’s hope this craziness ends and they can tour to support and we can all enjoy these new tracks and see how well they mesh with the bands catalog when played live.

Tracklisting: The Beginning – Fly Like An Eagle – The Red Crusade – The In-Between – Legacy – We Will Rock You – Mother – As Above So Below – Born In Flames – God Is She – Holy Man – Hunting Grounds – Lay Me Down – Into Dust

Line-up:  Maria Brink (vocals) – Chris Howorth (lead guitar) – Travis Johnson (bass) – Randy Weitzel (guitar) – Kent Diimmel
(drums)

IN THIS MOMENT LINKS:

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MOTHER – ITUNES

Category: CD Reviews