It has been over three years since In This Moment released their last record, “Mother.” In between now and then, they have gone on multiple tours, were nominated for a Grammy Award and released a reimagined version of their 2012 record “Blood,” titled “Blood 1983.” On Oct. 27, the band returned with a 10-song-long album titled, “GODMODE.”
The album begins with the title track, which is littered with techno synths, boomy drums and fuzzy guitar riffs. Lead singer Maria Brink’s vocals switch between a harsh whisper to her iconic frayed screaming. The robotic background harmonies add to her voice, and lull the audience into the beat. It’s a solid opening track that leaves the listener excited for more.
The next track, “THE PURGE,” is one of the more stand-out tracks on this record as it hits a little bit harder during the guitar and drum breakdown. The verses have more flow as Brink’s vocals are gravely and creaky as she sings about the band’s experience during the pandemic.
“The underlying message of the song is to not fall too deeply into the rabbit hole, everything is about finding balance,“ Brink said in an article for Revolver. "I had a lot of emotions building within me when I approached the song for the first time and after years of holding it all in I finally got to let it out.”
In This Moment’s cover of Björk’s “Army of Me” and “SACRIFICE” continues the formula established in the opening track with the techno synthesizers and chugging guitar riffs. The bass in “ARMY OF ME” sits more in the forefront, which leaves the guitars sounding demented. “SACRIFICE” is more synth-heavy with the drums hidden in the background of the mix. Both tracks are solid, but they feel like something is missing to make them more than just “solid tracks.”
The album hits its middle point with “SKYBURNER” and “SANCTIFY ME.” “SKYBURNER” opens with a bass-boosted techno beat that startles the listener, but the song does not get more surprising afterward. The track has the same booming synths and drilling guitar solos as before, but there is almost nothing instrumentally, vocally and structurally new to the table since listening to the opening song.
“SANCTIFY ME” is simply part two of “THE PURGE,” even if it’s another one of the more solid songs on the record. Nevertheless, both songs are good in their own ways, but they hardly stand out within the context of the record.
Luckily, the album begins to switch up with “EVERYTHING STARTS AND ENDS WITH YOU” and “DAMAGED (feat. Spencer Charnas).” In the former track, the drums are more at the forefront and pick up the pace into a classic metalcore style. It sounds metallic whereas the whole album feels electric, which is a change in style within the whole album.
“DAMAGED” is a theatrical song with strings overlapping the chugging guitar solos and ridging drum fills. Spencer Charnas, lead singer of Ice Nine Kills, shines on this track with his whiny vocals and growling screams. Brink and Charnas’s vocals work very well together on this duet, and it is one of the highlights of this entire record.
“FATE BRINGER” dips back into the original formula from the first half of the record with its heavy synths, static-like guitar effects and drilling drums. It’s a little bit on the poppier side with its underlying drum beat and Brink’s soft vocals during the chorus. However, the song’s bass and guitar keep it within the industrial metal realm.
Finally, the album closes with “I WOULD DIE FOR YOU,” which was released earlier this year on the “John Wick: Chapter 4” soundtrack. Brink’s vocals are top-notch on this song as she lulls the listener into the tune with her siren-like vocals. The instrumentals are less head-banging and swaying, although the drums are a lot more present in the mix of sound. In all, it’s a solid album closer as it encompasses the main themes throughout the record.
Overall, In This Moment’s “GODMODE” has several redeeming qualities that make it a coherent and concrete record. However, it can feel somewhat repetitive at times when certain songs sound the same or there’s hardly anything about a song that stands out.
Of course, this is subjective, especially since critics are calling this one of the better metal albums of the year. You’ll either love it or simply find it a solid record. Nonetheless, I suggest you take a listen to find out for yourself, especially if any of their work intrigues you.
Rating: 3/5
