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By JEFF MAKI
A buzz is circulating around SoCal's In This Moment, mainly Maria Brink, the hot rock chick that fronts this outfit. On Beautiful Tragedy, the band avoids the usual nuances of female fronted metal, instead opting for a guitar-based blend of metalcore and hard rock, with Brink's multi-dimensional vocals leading the attack.
First impressions are always fun. When I first glanced at the album cover, I immediately thought of that early '90s cheese movie Tank Girl, with those curly blonde locks and excess makeup. Then as the disc began to spin it seemed like Otep fronting It Dies Today. But as the album ran deeper, I realized that In This Moment is a rare progeny of the metal scene. Other than Otep, Crisis or Walls of Jericho, you'll be hard pressed to find a girl fronting a band of this ilk, be it metalcore, hard rock, etc. In This Moment is different, churning out some shit I could see kids frantically moshing to. The quintet formed in 2005 and has climbed the ranks rather quickly, touring with 3 Inches of Blood, Sworn Enemy and, in 2007, Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation on the "Hottest Chicks of Metal" tour..
Brink has a vicious, high-pitched scream similar to Karyn Crisis but can also sing melodically and pack endless emotion into her lyrics. “Prayers” is catchy as hell and is along the lines of It Dies Today or Killswitch Engage in structure. The title track features Brink's most memorable vocals, backed by solid guitar harmonies, even if it sounds like something you'd hear spinning at Hot Topic. Chris Howorth and Blake Bunzel provide lead and rhythm guitars, and it's obvious they are fans of In Flames. This is never more evident than on “Ashes,” where the chugging riffs sound like outtakes from Come Clarity. I say this is a good thing and blends outstandingly with Brink's vocals. Same goes for “This Moment,” where Brink sounds a little like Tori Amos over the Swedish metal guitar riffs. Slower acoustic sections show up on “The Legacy of Odio,” “He Said Eternity” and ”When the Storm Subsides,” but they all erupt into chugging riffs and metal, save for the last. Again I hear a Tori Amos influence in this track. It's not obvious what Brink is singing about, but her vocals are strong and passionate throughout the entire album.
Brinks' performance makes In This Moment an original band even if they are recycling recent sounds and ideas. The fact is they stand above many bands who have been on the scene for years before them. Beautiful Tragedy is a dynamic effort and an excellent debut. With a vocalist like this, In This Moment is poised for a breakthrough sooner rather than later.
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