REVIEW: In This Moment – Black Widow
I do not say this often, but In This Moment’s “Black Widow” took me by complete surprise (in a great way). In This Moment, since their inception, have been known as a band with a brutally heavy musical mentality, but “Black Widow” reaches a whole other dimension while still being able to maintain their signature sound. Not an easy task at all. That is all possible because In This Moment lets their guard down and offers up something accessible for everyone on this album. Maria Brink proves her versatility as a vocalist, with the perfect mix of clean vocals, dirty vocals, screaming, and even a new pseudo-rapping style that Brink ingeniously makes all her own. I love it when bands are able evolve let people know that they have so much more to offer the music industry.
Here is another thing I do not claim often: “Black Widow” is an album that I thoroughly enjoy from front to back. Brink reaches far into the depths of her soul and shows us an extremely vulnerable side of herself on this record. You can hear it in her voice. You can feel her longing, her need, and her pain flowing through her veins; pulsating, throbbing, and needing to be released.
The instrumentation, song-writing, and production is phenomenal and shows some great creativity along with modern day ingenuity. I do suggest that you listen to “Black Widow” from beginning to end. But, if I had to pick certain highlights off the record, I would definitely pay attention to “Sexual Hallucination” (featuring Brent Smith of Shinedown), “Sick Like Me,” “Bloody Creature Poster Girl,” “Bones,” “The Fighter,” and my favorite, “Out of Hell.”
We are the forgotten nobody wants to face. Together we can rise. Let’s climb out of hell. You are not forgotten. I’m standing by your side. Struggle makes you beautiful. Out of hell we will climb. Rarely, at least lately, does a song reach out and speak to me like “Out of Hell” does. And, for those who know me, I am a musician and a mental health advocate who has suffered with and battled my own demons. My goal is to help people understand that “they are not alone and that we are all united.” With that said, I absolutely love when a band like In This Moment understands that concept and digs deep into it instead of simply scratching the surface.
In This Moment proves that you do not have to color within the lines or be pigeonholed into one genre. As both a critic and a fan, I believe that “Black Widow” is a masterpiece, and I give this album my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
Make sure you pick it up tomorrow, 11/18/2014, anywhere music is sold!!
– MelodicEnmity
