Mother - In This Moment

I had to wait a week before reviewing this record to really let it soak in. In fact, this record is the reason I started reviewing albums in the first place. If it weren't for Mother and my sister kicking me in the pants, I wouldn't be doing this right now. So special thanks to my sister, Maria Brink, and the guys from ITM for getting me here.

Why did this album take so long for me to soak in? Well like any piece of artwork, you look at it once, walk away, come back to it, and you see it in a different light. You pick up on things you may have missed the first time around. For example, the first time I heard the new track "Legacy" was live on the Mother's House of Horror Tour in October 2019. Seeing it live, maybe the sound wasn't mixed great, or it could be where I was standing, but I could barely hear Mother Maria's vocals on it. I had no idea what she was saying. She said it was dedicated to her grandfather and other family and friends who served in the armed forces, so I knew it was probably pretty good, but after it was over I still had no idea. However, upon hearing it again on the studio recording, and again, and again, and again, I came to love it. Maybe it is because of my own personal connection to my grandfather and the armed forces, but it quickly became one of my favorite tracks. Even though it is one of the slower songs, and you know I hate ballads.

ITM's newest offering Mother is not my favorite record of theirs, nor will it ever be. Ritual may always hold on to that title for me, but with that said I do not want you to think I disliked Mother in any way. In fact, I loved it. Upon first listen, I thought it was pretty good, but upon second and third listen it grew on me. Since I'm not a fan of slow songs, I really don't care much for interludes either. To me they're just a waste of time. Mother starts off with an interlude, a cover, and another interlude. So in my ears the record takes 5 minutes before it truly starts. While I like their cover of Fly Like an Eagle, I don't see how it is truly necessary on this record. It's a slow start, and the Mazzy Star cover "Into Dust" gives Mother a painfully slow ending as well.

The album is the latest to be produced by the legendary Kevin Churko. If you don't know who Kevin Churko is, climb out from the rock you've been living under and check out literally every ITM record, every 5FDP record, the latest 2 offerings from Disturbed, Halestorm's Vicious, and many other titles. He's not the only guest star on this record, either. The album's second of three covers, a re-vamped edition of Queen's "We Will Rock You," features Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen of Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless, respectively. While this is NOT the Queen song I would have chosen for Maria and Co. to cover, it works surprisingly well. In addition to her stunning vocals, Lzzy Hale provides her best Brian May impression on a face-melting guitar solo. A later track, an original called "The Hunting Grounds," features Maria Brink's boyfriend (lucky bastard) and DED frontman Joe Cotella. All in all, Maria and the boys deliver a true ITM treasure, showing signs of growth for the band, as well as homage to where they came from. It's impossible to listen to this album without hearing some of ITM's early work, while also noticing some evolution and maturity coming over the horizon.

In This Moment - Mother

3 - 27 - 2020

1. The Beginning (Interlude)

2. Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band Cover)

3. The Red Crusade (Interlude)

4. The In-Between

5. Legacy

6. We Will Rock You (Queen Cover - feat. Maria Brink, Lzzy Hale, & Taylor Momsen)

7. Mother

8. As Above, So Below

9. Born In Flames

10. God Is She

11. Holy Man

12. Hunting Grounds (feat. Joe Cotella)

13. Lay Me Down

14. Into Dust (Mazzy Star Cover)

Favorite Tracks: Legacy & We Will Rock You

Least Favorite Tracks: Hunting Grounds & Into Dust
Rating: 7.8