L.A Titan’s In This Moment have long been favourites of the collective of Artists that shape the way for alternative metal over the last 18 years. Now, they are set to release eighth studio album Godmode on 27th October 2023 via BMG.
Approaching the subject of evolution in the album, vocalist Maria Brink says “We’re always striving for reinvention and growth. It’s been 10 years since our Blood album, and there’s been a lot of transitions happening, this year particularly, but it all felt so meant to be.
We’re introduced to a futuristic and apocalyptic mood to kickstart the album with synth soaked bass notes and keys of sinister flows before Maria Brink roars her vicious pipes across the track that melt into silky and sensual tones to give playful edges to the song.
Whispers and roars drip through to give an unhinged and swirling mix with the heavier elements of the song.
Though title track Godmode doesn’t serve as a complete representation of the album, it gives an insight into one of the many flavours between sweet and spicy that In This Moment have created.
Turning the heat up a notch, next track ‘The Purge’ is one of the tracks you find on an album that draws you into it’s aura to ease into the journey that’s ahead.
Silent beats twist into Maria’s rap-turned-roars that sprinkle moods of aggression and manic euphoria along with the pound of Kent Dimmel’s cymbals and pedal work, which is timed expertly to stop, stop, go and then BAM into a huge vine of sound twisting ever upwards.
Chris Howorth and Randy Weitzel showcase some stunning musicianship on guitars, injecting leads of futuristic glam riffs and industrial rhythms before Maria unfolds three quarter of the track in and completely annihilates the rafters of my lounge room ceiling.
The sheer power and ferocity in her TWENTY FIVE second guttural delivery melts my face off before all fades to darkness to open industrial and punchy Bjork cover number Army Of Me.
Sacrifice served as one of the released singles from Godmode and glimpses a mix of post-gothic metal and industrial nu metal to show some other diverse elements of In This Moment.
One of my favourite tracks so far, Skyburn offers some more injection of melodics than anything else, which gives a beautiful and energy soaking mood in many areas of the track. Starting with synths and scratchy riffs, Maria’s voice is soft with edges of roars that play around with the hypnotic ambience delivered with the riffs and subtle but strong basslines of Travis Johnson.
With talks of consuming emotions and exhibiting a purely atmospheric mood, this is such an absorbing track and one I am looking forward to being released.
Sanctify Me and Everything Starts and Ends With You are in my opinion, two of the best songs that represent Godmode.
Sanctify Me has the aggressive, choppy and heavy elements that create the industrial side of In This Moment, displays Maria’s voice in her different crafts of range – trembling roars and husky song to distorting transitions to bestow a chilling effect in her voice, and Everything Starts and Ends With You offers different textures of gothic metal with the synths.
Guitaring in this track is chuggy in places and uses effects of melodics to twist from industrial notes to metalcore elements. A fun and empowering track.
Damaged features Ice Nine Kills vocalist Spencer Charnas imprinting a vocal exchange with Maria which touch upon the Metalcore elements of the album. Team this with some immersive guitar riffs and chuggy breakdowns to shimmer through some stunning blastbeats of the kit and here creates something for everyone. Fun and powerful!
Fatebringer urges some of the dark pop shimmers to the forefront of Godmode in places, which twist with the album’s predominant industrial sound. It’s super catchy but very dark. Tempo changes between the beats and keys make this a fun track to absorb but a little mysterious in places where Maria turns things heavier and with a more sinister edge using different tones of vocals to round off the alternative sound with a dark message.
Last track I Would Die For You rounds off the end of the album with a seriously emotionally charged mood.
The melodics and atmospherics of this track offer Maria’s voice in a aerial sonic submersion surrounding the powerful key notes and epic guitar harmonies, offering messages of unconditional and unequivocal devotion. It was featured on the John Wick 4 soundtrack. A track to get lost in and one that will play over and over on my playlists,
There is so much balance of light and darkness in this album. With In This Moment exploring more of their melodic side, yet haven’t let go of the electronic and heavy elements that part make up the artists we know ,this album creates new complexity and textures for In This Moment that sit with them perfectly.
‘GODMODE’ TRACK LISTING
Godmode
The Purge
Army Of Me
Sacrifice
Skyburner
Sanctify Me
Everything Starts And Ends With You
Damaged (feat. Spencer Charnas)
Fate Bringer
I Would Die
In This Moment Are:
Maria Brink – lead vocals, piano
Chris Howorth – lead guitar, backing vocals
Travis Johnson – bass, backing vocals
Randy Weitzel – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Kent Diimmel – drums
PRE-SAVE / PRE-ADD / PRE-ORDER GODMODE HERE
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