In This Moment Promises There Will Be Blood

He, who learns to welcome misfortune, learns that adversity is the prosperity of the great. This saying definitely applies to Maria Brink and Chris Howorth of In This Moment. They have had many ups and downs since the band’s formation back in 2005. They’ve had almost as many bass players as Spinal Tap had drummers. Last year, their metal saga suffered yet another blow all thanks to American Idol of all things. Yet, through it all, Brink and Howorth kept marching along and not allowing any distractions to capture their Iron Army flag.

The band lost two key members in drummer Jeff Fabb and guitarist Blake Bunzel last year, forcing them to stop and refocus. That loss came just a couple of months before they were supposed to enter the studio to begin on a new album. It ignited something in the duo and awoke a creative beast hungry for redemption. The result is the band’s fourth studio in five years entitled Blood.

The album kicks off with a short song entitled “Rise with Me” which has been serving as the introduction to their live show. It sounds like an intro to a fantasy or futuristic movie and serves as a great kickoff to what is in store. That song leads into the title track and the album’s first single “Blood”. Upon first listen, it’s hard not to notice new elements incorporated into the sound of In This moment that we have grown accustomed to. The first name that comes to mind would be Nine Inch Nails and possibly even Fear Factory. It’s the sound we expect from the band, but with a dose of steroids.

“Adrenalize” has an underlying groove that grabs you at the beginning and grinds its way throughout the entire song. The guitars have a heavy sound to them that’s brings to mind early Pantera. “You’re Gonna’ Listen”, which has already received some play on satellite radio, is a kick ass number with a guitar solo guaranteed to melt your face. This song definitely has a little bit of a Deftones feel to it.

One of the standout tracks on the album has to be “Whore”. The band really explores outside of the box on this with results that are going surprise many. The first time that I heard the song, I couldn’t help but to think of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” when I heard the guitar intro. This is a hot number that combines some newly added electronic elements to their sound with a catchy guitar riff that hooks you in. Maria’s vocal delivery ranges from the sweet and innocent lines of “I can be your everything” to the anger that flows when she screams “you’ll love me for everything you hate me for”. “Whore” is a powerful song on both a musical level as well as a lyrical one.

“Burn” is another powerhouse number and is one of many different layers. As the song progresses, it just seems to keep growing and the more you cut into it, the deeper it gets. It starts out with a layer of piano with some electronic sprinkled on top that gives it a very alluring feeling. Then, as you sink your teeth into that layer, the drums and guitars come crashing in and take it in a totally different direction.        

“Scarlet” is another venture off the traditional In This moment path with very favorable results. It’s a song of forbidden love between two people who have shared so much, yet as Maria sings, “you know how this will end.” It also has a nasty bass line that thumps along almost like the heartbeat of the two lovers in the song. Throw in a wicked little guitar solo and you have the makings of one killer song that could easily get major radio airplay.

“From the Ashes” is a track that sounds new and fresh, yet familiar at the same time. I think it incorporates elements of the first album that will make quite a few fans happy.  “Beast Within” is another one of those songs on here that has a funky under groove to it that is infectious and burrows its way into your head. When Maria mentioned that the new album was sexy and alluring, she wasn’t wrong.

“Comanche” is a song that manages not only to kick some major ass, but it’s also a lot of fun. It kicks off with a nasty bassline and Maria experiments with a bit of a different vocal technique at times that’s pretty cool too. The drumline going through it has a tribal feel to it also. The album closes with a haunting, yet beautiful song called “11:11” and it’s an all vocal song by Maria. When it’s your time to go, can you say that you have lived and loved?

Overall, this album is pretty amazing and it will bring some new listeners into the fold and it may even turn some away who cannot get into the industrial/electronic elements that have been added. Bands have to grow and evolve in order to stay ahead in the industry today and especially if they want to have any legs and be around for a while. I love the new elements that they have added to their sound. At times, it’s not as heavy as their last album and that heaviness has been replaced by a dark and alluring sound that is somewhat sexy at times. I also have to give props to Chris Howorth. He’s never been a slouch when it comes to his playing, but the fire that he and Maria speak of runs all the way through this man’s fingertips. He is playing like a beast on this album. It’s not all in the shredding, which will definitely melt your face, but he’s also a master of some of the simpler chords which adds so much to a song.

It is a rebirth as Maria has stated before and it may take more than one listen to fully appreciate and grasp what the band is doing. The core of Chris Howorth and Maria Brink are not going to let anything get in their way of taking their dream to the next level. This is a new and improved version of their dream and they continue to lead their Iron Army along the journey.

Music as a Weapon Tour Assaults Winston Salem, NC

It may have been a cold and windy day in February, but it was about to heat up as the Music as a Weapon 5 tour pulled into Winston Salem, NC. A sea of black t-shirts congregated in front of the Lawrence Joel Sports Annex as the fans began to line up to claim their spots when the doors opened. The tour, consisting of co-headliners Korn and Disturbed along with Sevendust and In This Moment, has been drawing impressive numbers along the way so far and tonight’s show looked to follow suit.
Monster Energy Drink, the sponsor of the tour, was on hand for the show with their mobile unit parked out front. Their crew was giving away free drinks to anyone who ventured up too their tent outside. There’s nothing like getting a bunch of anxious head bangers all jacked up on energy drinks before a show! The doors opened at 6:30 and a mad dash ensued for not only the general admission floor spots, but also for the bathrooms!

In This Moment were first to hit the stage. The band, fronted by Revolver’s Hottest Chick in Metal Maria Brink, have been touring relentlessly since 2005 and establishing a very loyal fan base. Their five song set, focusing solely on their newest CD “A Star Crossed Wasteland”, was a full on assault. Maria seemed to be having some audio problems at the start, which did prove to be distracting for her, but she managed to keep it together like a pro. The crowd was definitely full of new recruits into their Iron Army. Their set closed with “Welcome to The Gun show” and a full moshpit erupted as bodies started to fly everywhere. This was my first time seeing In This Moment on a big stage and I have to say that they seemed right at home.

Sevendust were up next and fed off of the energy that In This Moment drummed up in the crowd. Lead singer Lajon Witherspoon took the stage with a vengeance and from the opening notes of “Splinter”, he had a chokehold on the hungry fans. The band sounded tight and marched through staples such as “Driven” and “Black”. Their short, but intense, 30 minute set ended with “Face to Face” and left the crowd hungry for more.

This proved to be the perfect set-up for Disturbed, who had a strong following in the building by turnout of t-shirt support alone. David Draiman, lead singer, may not prove to be the most charismatic person on stage, but he knows how to deliver the goods to the crowd of followers. The band, who’s last four CDs have debuted at number one, sounded great and the lightshow was top notch. They blitzed through their hour long set with very little interaction with the crowd. “Remnants” followed by “Asylum” followed by “Stupify”, one hit right after the other. It barely gave the crowd time to catch its own breath. The kamikaze style set closed with their signature hit “Sickness”. One argument heard about the band is that their sound has definitely been well crafted, but it’s beginning to sound a bit repetitious. It may be time to freshen up things just a bit.

It was Korn’s turn to close out the show, as they take turns with Disturbed alternating that coveted spot. The originators of the “nu-metal” sound, Korn has seen a lot of wannabes pop up in their career of almost 20 years. Their showing tonight proved why they have lasted for so long and earned the respect of many in the crowd. Lead singer Jonathan Davis may not look the part of the traditional front man, but the man has got the skills to fill the shoes and get the job done.

Davis, along with Munky on guitar and Fieldy on bass, controlled the stage front with their unique presence. Munky, looking somewhat like a cross between Prince and Adam Ant with his face paint and attire was a beast on guitar. Fieldy wielded his bass more as a weapon than an instrument of sound as he pounded away on it. Davis came out dressed more for a run at the gym than a rock show, but that’s the beauty of this front man. He doesn’t need all the props and fancy gimmicks used by some; substance over style.

I admit that a lot of people that I spoke with before the show were not very interested in seeing Korn perform. I heard a lot of comments such as “They use to be good”, “They suck” and “Maybe 10 years ago, but not tonight” when I talked to some of the crowd before the show. Well, Davis and company made believers out of these doubters with their high energy hour plus set of old and new songs. Most of the staple songs were there, “Freak on a Leash”, Twisted Transitor”, “Ya’ll Want a Single” and “Blind” kept the rabid crowd head banging along. Davis even brought out the bagpipes for “Shoots and Ladders” which turned into a mash-up of sorts with Metallica’s “One”. Are Korn closet Glee fans?

The band ended the show by coming out to center stage and tossing shirts, guitar picks, drum sticks and drum heads out into the audience. I will admit that I was highly impressed with their set. Yes, it could have been a little longer so that a few more of their signature songs could have been included. That being said, the entire show was a treat. The Music as a Weapon Tour focused this year n smaller markets that may not necessarily get shows of this caliber. Here’s hoping to its continued success in bringing music like this to the masses.

In This Moment Are Home At Mayhem

In the movie "Almost Famous", Creem magazine Editor Lester Banks tells aspiring fifteen year old writer William Miller that whatever he does, do not become friends with the band. Writers and reviewers are seen as the enemy. That advice ran through my head the night before I was to interview In This Moment. You see, I became friends over the last few years because, well to be honest, I was totally captivated by them. I had never experienced anything like them live before. I have seen them numerous times since my first show with them on OZZFEST in 2007 and we have become friends.

I went to their show in Charlotte,NC on August 1 where they played with Norma Jean and Chimaira. It was an off date from their successful Rockstar Mayhem Festival this summer. In This Moment played first and proved why they are stealing shows on the secondary stage at Mayhem on a daily basis. Their set that night was a very tight eight song set focusing heavily on their new CD "A Star-Crossed Wasteland". The band opened with "Just Drive" and proceeded to rip through tracks like a buzz saw through fresh lumber. "Daddy's Falling Angel", from their first CD, closed the show with more intensity than most bands combine into their entire set.

After a meet and greet with the fans at the merchandise booth, I was escorted back to their bus for the interview. The band is sharing a bus with Norma Jean, so it was a bit crowded and chaotic. So, Chris (Howorth, lead guitarist) led me to the back of the bus to Maria's quarters where we were to conduct the interview sitting on her bed. Yes, you read that right! I conducted my interview while sitting on the bed with Chris, Maria and her dog Twinkles. Don't be hatin' people!!

JP: "Hey guys! Well, it's been a while since we last talked and alot has happened in your career. Can you tell me a little about being on this year's Mayhem tour and how it's been going?

Chris: "Mayhem has been amazing, right from the start! This is the kind of tour we belong on. We know all the bands and are friends with everyone, so it has been great. Last year's Warped Tour was fun, but we didn't get to meet as many bands and weren't friends with as many like we are at Mayhem. The crowds have been absolutely insane!

JP: "So tell me, what was your initial reaction when you heard the first week's sales of the new CD. According to Billboard Magazine, it sold 10,500 copies the first week and debuted at number forty!"

Maria: "We were really, really excited about it. He was more stressed about it than me."

Chris: "I had been thinking about it like 2 weeks before the news came out. We were getting reports from the label of how many copies different outlets had sold. Nowadays the trend is to sell half of what you did last time. We knew we were growing and we were really shooting for 10,000. So, we were really stoked when we heard."

JP: "You worked with producer Kevin Churko again. What type of working relationship do you have with him now? Does he challenge you to think outside the box?"

Maria: "We love him and we're like family with him, yet at the same time he will tell us if something is good, yet not quite good enough. So, I think we have a great relationship with him."

JP: "The Promise" has generated alot of buzz amongst the fans. I had heard that the song was originally suppose to be with Ivan from Five Finger Death Punch. Can you fill me in on it?"

Maria: "Yea, we have been wanting to do something with Ivan for a while now. He was originally our choice to sing this duet with me. Adrian Patrick was the fill-in for Ivan to show him how the track was suppose to go. So, we layed down a rough track for Ivan and sent it to him and he loved it."

Chris: "Literally, the day before we were suppose to record with Ivan, the record company stepped in and for whatever reason, it didn't happen."

Maria: "So, instead of going out and looking for a big name person to step in, we decided to go ahead with Adrian. He totally shocked all of us with his voice and it is so rich and alluring. It's also kind of cool that nobody really knows who he is either."

JP: "The marketing of the new CD, with the utilization of Facebook and all the different exclusives that the outlets had for it, who was involved with all of that?"

Chris: "The plan was that we wanted to make it different than the last time because of the timing of the CD and how we were growing. So, we wanted to do something special for the fans and give them alot of options. The exclusives and the preorders were the record company's decision. Some fans actually bought multiple copies because of what they wanted."

JP: "I'm guilty as charged! I have to admit that I bought copies for my kids as well as getting multiple copies for myself!"

Chris: "Well, you are a part of that 10,500 so thanks for supporting us."

JP: "OK, I have to ask about your mic stand. What is going on with that?"

Maria: "I wanted a unique stand and I collect antique dolls and such. So, it was literally the night before the first Mayhem show and I said to myself that I gotta do this. So, Chris and I sat in his bedroom and he helped me hack it all together and sew it all up. He kind of surprised me because he was really passionate about it and he's usually not an artsy fartsy type of person."

Chris: "She kept on badgering me about it and I knew that I wasn't going to get any peace until it was done."

JP: "Back to last year's Warped tour, looking back on it, what can you draw from doing that type of tour?"

Maria: "To me, the positive would be all of the teenage girls who come up to us and say that they saw us there last year. We do any tour with a positive attitude and take out of it anything positive if we can."

Chris: "Also, it helped us by introducing us to Kevin Lyman who does Mayhem as well."

JP: "So, what's ahead after Mayhem for you guys?"

Maria: "We are going to a few select dates headlining and then we will take about a month off and the go back on the road. The CD is still very new so we plan on touring our butts off here and internationally, but nothing is confirmed yet."

JP: "So, if you guys weren't in a band, what would you be doing right now?"

Maria: "I would be in a circus or an actress. I would need an artistic outlet."

Chris: "If I wasn't doing this, then I would be trying to do this."

JP: "Or possibly designing mic stands?"

Maria: "Yea, but we would still need to hear the roar of the crowd."

JP: "Your fan base continues to grow and grow. You have such an amazing one on one connection with so many fans. Are you worried that connection may be lost as you grow bigger?"

Maria: "I'm not really worried about losing it. We will just have to try harder. I mean look at Korn, as big as they are a t the top of their game and they manage to do signings."

Chris: "We will continue to but just as long as it's safe. Not as much for us guys as it is for Maria. You can't help it, there are alot of strange people out there and we don't want to put her at risk. I mean, we can't go to the soundboard after or before e show as easily anymore and just hangout. Even when Korn does it, it's very controlled and organized. Yet, no matter how big we do get there will always be those fans and friends who have been there since the beginning that we will have that special bond with....no matter what."

JP: "The next single is 'The Promise'. I know you have already shot the video. When will both be released and is there talk of a third single yet?"

Maria: "The single comes out in September and the video will follow. As far as a third one, it depends on how well 'The Promise' does. If it blows up, then we will look at what is possibly the next single."

Chris: "Yea, the record company will pick one and we will pick one and then we will fight it out."

At this point, I thought our interview was complete. I was in for quite a surprise!

Maria: "Do you want a special little treat?"

JP: "Now how can I say no to you?"

Maria: "Do you want to see the rough, rough version of the video for 'The Promise'?"

JP: "Are you serious?"

Chris: "Yea, nobody outside of the band has seen this. Not even our families, you will be the first."

At that point, they turned on the tv and DVD player and I watched the rough cut of the video. Now, Maria swore me to secrecy. She does this all the time! Last year on tour, she told us that they were on the Mayhem 2010 Tour and that I couldn't say a word yet because it wasn't public knowledge yet. I watched the video, probably not knowing that my jaw was hanging wide open. I remember that when the screen faded to black that I looked at Maria and said, "Wow, that was hot!" and she started giggling. Now, I cannot talk about the storyline at all, but I can tell all the fans that it is a very sexy and hot video that uses the art of sexuality in such subtle ways that it makes the video smolder. Oh yea, the ending, if left the same, is very hot too.

So, the interview was over and we left the bus and got pictures and autographs. My shirt smelt like Maria's perfume for a few days and I didn't want to wash it. It was a great night at Amos' and one that I will not forget. I will always have that memory of interviewing Revolver's Hottest Chick In Metal Maria Brink while sitting on her bed in the back of their tour bus. Oh yea, Chris was there too.