:: In This Moment - The Dream

In This Moment

‘Beautiful Tragedy’, the 2007 debut release from Los Angeles based metalcore outfit In This Moment, wasn’t exactly what you would call a classic. But what the album had over a lot of other metalcore acts was a slight hard rock influence that managed to find its way in and around the dominant metalcore sound, and a more than capable frontwoman in Maria Brink, who was able to turn her hand at a variety of different sounds rather than metalcore’s trademark growls. Now returning with their sophomore effort ‘The Dream’, In This Moment have again shown how much they’ve evolved and matured as artists, so much so that they’ve outgrown the generic metalcore tag that previously described their sound. Tying in with their ‘Alice In Wonderland’ themed packaging on ‘The Dream’, the minute long introductory piece ‘The Rabbit Hole’ opens up the album with some middle eastern influenced vocals over some atmospheric keyboards. But while ‘The Rabbit Hole’ is an interesting filler piece, it’s the album’s first single ‘Forever’ that will no doubt take many by surprise. Those expecting a full on metalcore-like assault with the opening track of the album will be sorely disappointed, as the band fully embrace their hard rock influences. And it’s not just the music that’s changed either, as Brink utilises her clean vocals throughout the song. While it might sounds like an experiment that’s gone horribly wrong, it has to be said that In This Moment’s new sound and direction is actually quite a smart one and one that perfectly fits the band (especially given that the metalcore sound is not only cliché, but on its way out).

From here, the band continue to revel in their new sound, with ‘All For You’, the heavy ‘Lost At Sea’ and ‘You Always Believed’ following the opener in solid hard rocking fashion, while traces of experimentation is evident within the driving ‘Mechanical Love’, the piano driven ballad ‘Into The Light’ (again, Brink shows just how much she can actually sing) and the closing title track ‘The Dream’. Of course, the band hasn’t completely forsaken their heavier sound, with the darker and heavy ‘Her Kiss’, the aggressive ‘The Great Divide’ and the riotous/catchy ‘Violet Skies’. With ‘Beautiful Tragedy’, In This Moment showed plenty of potential, but lacked the ability to really deliver something outside the narrow confines of their metalcore sound. But on ‘The Dream’, In This Moment will no doubt shatter a lot of people’s preconceptions, and in the process open up the possibility of a career long after metalcore’s popularity becomes a distant memory.