In This Moment comes back with their latest release, Blood. People seem to be black and white when it comes to their opinions on the band. But they probably spark more interest than the next band due to their eccentric frontwoman, Maria Brink, as it always seems to be a ticket to fame to have a frontwoman in your metal band. However, it all comes down to the music, and whether or not the frontwoman can do more than simply be the eye candy.
Once I got down to listen to Blood, it was definitely a little hard to listen to this whole album without taking a break in between tracks. I’ll admit that this was my first exposure to the band, and obviously Maria Brink was the first thing to grab my attention as well. We all know from other frontwomen like Angela Gossow that women can be just as brutal up front as any other man, so I was quite excited to get started.
But once I got to the second and title track, “Blood”, I didn’t have a very positive feeling in my stomach, mostly since “Blood” quite literally a list of the 10 things she hates about you. And that’s generally the tone of the rest of the album, like it’s directed specifically and exclusively to emotional teenage girls. It’s possibly best exemplified on the song “You’re Gonna Listen” where the chorus is nothing but constant shouts of “Shut up!”
And honestly, all I could envision was the mind of a 14-year-old girl being told by her parents she can’t wear lipstick. It’s agonizingly whiny, relentlessly melodramatic, and at times a little uncomfortable to listen. Brink’s on-the-verge-of-crying singing gets pretty tiresome after a while, especially since it occurs on almost every track on the album. The musical side of Blood is also pretty mediocre as well. Occasionally there’s a pretty cool riff or two, but the musicality always seems to take a backseat to Brink’s vocals and lyrics.
“From The Ashes” is probably the only shining moment from the actual band, and probably the only redeeming track on Blood. But in the end, it’s nothing that hasn’t already been done, and perhaps done better by other bands. It gets to the point where I simply don’t remember much at all about the actual music and more about Brink’s sickening lyrics. It’s a major misbalance between band and vocalist that makes for a pretty disappointing experience.
Blood more than likely appeals directly to prior fans of In This Moment. But to anyone who’s looking something a little heavier and a little more mature, they probably shouldn’t look this way. The pretty face of Maria Brink might tempt you into their world, but don’t be so fooled. Other bands do their style of music much better, and without so much annoying melodramatic emotion.
6.5/10
