Sunday 29 March 2020

Album Review: IN THIS MOMENT - Mother

In This Moment - Mother



01. The Beginning (interlude)
02. Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band cover)
03. The Red Crusade (interlude)
04. The In-Between
05. Legacy
06. We Will Rock You (feat. Maria Brink, Lzzy Hale, Taylor Momsen) (Queen cover)
07. Mother
08. As Above So Below
09. Born In Flames
10. God Is She
11. Holy Man
12. Hunting Grounds (feat. Joe Cotela)
13. Lay Me Down
14. Into Dust (Mazzy Star cover)


It's been nearly three years since their last record, Ritual (read my review here), and after some extensive touring, In This Moment are back with Mother.

I have to confess that I wasn't initially that taken with the first single, The In-Between. Considering how badass their first singles off previous records were, I was underwhelmed by this new song to say the least. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad track, but it works better within the context of the album, than a stand-alone piece to get people hyped for the new record. It's heavy, dark and Industrial, but it ain't no Blood or Sick Like Me. I guess it's a problem when you've set your own bar so high.

Fortunately, soon before Mother came out, In This Moment released Hunting Grounds and the super-catchy As Above So Below which are both way better songs, and managed to re-kindle my enthusiasm. The former features Joe Cotela from Nu Metal throwbacks 'Ded'. He has a great voice which works really well with Maria's.

Now the whole opus has arrived, it's definitely an interesting listen.

Fly Like An Eagle is the first of three covers, which seems a bit excessive. Kicking your album off with a cover song is stranger still. It is a good version though, despite being sonically very different to the original.

Legacy is the first brilliant track on offer here. It's dark, haunting, and gorgeously melodic. It's more in the 'ballad territory' than the previous tracks, but it certainly made my ears prick up.

The cover of Queen's We Will Rock You is very good, despite being an odd track to hear in the middle of the album. Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen bring their A-game, making this an genuinely impressive version. It's so upbeat in what's an otherwise mostly sombre toned record. It's as though the label demanded a hit. Something everyone knows, and could easily showcase some other Rock Goddesses too, in order to guarrantee that media attention and mainstream airplay. I can imagine some fucker in a suit saying "Who cares if it fits with the rest of the album, as no-one listens to records in their entirety anymore".

Having given this album a few plays, there are some real 'growers' on here. Mother isn't oozing instant hits to the same extent as their Blood or Black Widow albums, but it is still a solid release. There are plenty of multi-layered, atmospheric songs with  distinct level of maturity in the writing, that benefit from repeat listens. It's a better release than Ritual, and I'm enjoying this accomplished follow-up more and more.



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