REVIEW: In This Moment - 'Mother'
“All cultures, religions, and belief systems share one commonality. Life springs forth from a mother. She bears, nurtures, cultivates, raises, and prepares children for the world. Without her, existence ceases. Much like the earth, life grows, thrives, and survives inside of and because of her…”
Since 2005, In This Moment has taken the role of a hard rock maternal figure; nurturing a large and growing fanbase, cultivating the music scene, and preparing the next generation of rock n’ roll. The band - composed of front-woman Maria Brink, co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel, and drummer Kent Dimmel - have recently passed 200 million streams and deservedly so. Teaming up with the infamous Kveni Chrurko in the studio, In This Moment puts forth their seventh full-length album, Mother through Roadrunner/Atlantic Records. A force to be reckoned with, Mother is a 14-track record indicative of yet another spiritual, philosophical, and mystical evolution. Following the fantasy storyline in previous records, Mother “breathes the activating mantra of an unbreakable spell.” From the words of Maria Brink, “We feel like everything we have done has led us to this point and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the next chapter.”
Opening with a mysterious metalcore whisper-chant interlude, “The Beginning” sets the mystic tone. The drums continue to tell the story as the intro track effortlessly flows into the first song, “Fly Like An Eagle.” Much like the name of this song, listeners will find themselves soaring through the horizon, witnessing a musical ritual bringing forth life. The first track of any album has the role of not only setting the tone, but to grab the listeners’ attention as well. In This Moment excels at this, as Maria Brink guides the listener with a voice smothered in raw soul. Her spirit guides the song and the force is stronger than ever.
Another quick interlude takes place with sound effects resembling an angel chorus fading into the next track, “The In-Between.” It was the first released to the public and fully immerses you in the spell-casting storyline that is Mother. The tone is set with the lyrics “I’m gonna bring a little Hell, and a little Heaven.” The inner conflict in the message of the song shows through the diction of the lyrics, lyrically keeping the listener spellbound.
Moving on to the next track, “Legacy” makes its stance loud and clear. The slow ease into a bass line that keeps my head moving and my focus in check. “Legacy” is bound to be a favorite song on the album with Maria’s phenomenal vocal range being shown in full capacity, an organ that serenades the listener, its melody synchronizing with the melody from the guitars. If one had to choose a song to describe In This Moment as a whole, it would hands down have to be this power ballad.
It takes a legendary band to pull off any Queen cover, and with the help from Lzzy Hale from Halestorm and Taylor Momsen from The Pretty Reckless, In This Moment rocked every note in their cover of “We Will Rock You.” Usually, the classic is always better, although in the rare case, a cover can perform better than the original. In This Moment’s rendition of the Queen classic has every bit of soul and strength that vocal power punch includes. This cover has been described as “the fiercest mother moment of them all,” yet this description is nearly an understatement. Femme fatale legends in one song, something that most certainly brings a lot of Heaven to this world.
The title track, “Mother,” resembles a classic rock ballad with a modern rock twist. Rock choir choruses paired with organs are an In This Moment trademark and serves this track well. “Mother I won’t let you fall” and neither will In This Moment, the band having the backs of their fanbase through both Heaven and Hell. Speaking of Hell, we dive below into the depths of the Underworld with a dark organ twist and distorted chorus in the next track, “As Above, So Below.” Intimate verses slip into a bewitched promise backed by motivation with the lyrics “What you give comes back threefold, as above, so below.” This links back to the rule of threes as well as karma-- two prominent archetypes in Wicca and witchcraft. The history cuts deep lyrically while the melody stitches you spiritually.
Keeping with the Hell theme is “Born In Flames,” a song about being birthed from the flames of hell and rising to the Heavens like a Phoenix. Rising into the clouds and reaching Heaven’s Gates you’ll find “the Heaven and the Hell you crave” with yet another power ballad, “God Is She.” The maternal goddess in this fantasia takes her place with rock and poise, becoming a yin and yang of demon and angel metaphors.
Featuring Joe Cotela of Ded, “Hunting Grounds” will ground your physical being while leaving you mentally afloat and alert. The vocal contrast between Maria and Joe captivates, leaving one in a trance while Kent’s drumming brings the meat home with this song, enough to feed an arena of hungry fans. “The world’s quieting down, so I say we do this anyway/you know one of us is going down so I say we do this anyway.” If one of us is going down, it will be to “Hunting Grounds.” The next track begins with “And you thought you could bury me, put me six feet down before your guilty pleas,” waking us from our trance and realizing that this is it. Or is it? The second to last track, “Lay Me Down,” attempts to bury the album but you can’t bury In This Moment. Much like the mantra and attitude from this track, you will not be able to let this track nor this album down. It may be near the end, but the show is not over yet. “Into Dust” holds one of the most powerful endings. Clocking in at 6 minutes and 41 seconds and heavily focusing on the organs, we end the album cycle on a calming note and positive message.
Mother was built with a concept in mind, with each replay you find yourself uncovering metaphors you had not caught before. It is definitely one of the most powerful rock albums of the year, incorporating both classic and modern undertones to create a genre for all generations to enjoy. You can stream Mother on all streaming platforms this Friday, March 27th. Be sure to listen for yourself and enjoy the maternal embrace this album provides.
Check out In This Moment’s latest single “As Above, So Below.”