ALBUM REVIEW: Witch – In This Moment
Los Angeles alternative metal quintet IN THIS MOMENT have been in the industry for two decades. In this time, you would have thought they would have achieved all they have wanted, but they are far from finished. Following a three year break, the band are back with their ninth studio release Witch. Whilst 2023’s Godmode was inspired by invincibility in video games, Witch takes on a completely different meaning.
Inspired by vocalist Maria Brink‘s personal struggles, this 11-track compilation is angsty, emotional and embraces femininity in all its glory. “Witch is my declaration of inner transformation. It’s about embracing the duality within – taking pain, persecution, and struggle – and alchemizing them into strength and power. The album reflects both ancient trials and my own journey – where being a ‘witch’ means being a creator, connected to the universe, manifesting my own reality.” Brink emphasises.
Opener Shame is rip-roaringly powerful and a fantastic start to Witch. Incorporating the band’s iconic alternative metal sound, Maria Brink‘s incredible vocals do the talking here. The haunting nature of this track makes it so special. On the other hand, I Want To Believe is a little bland in comparison – just a very average song with no real substance at its core. Guest collaborators DAYSEEKER are a solid picking though. Crawl shifts back to the iconic IN THIS MOMENT sound we all know and love, injecting an electronic based melody into the mix which works well with synthesizers a plenty. The chorus section of the song sounds almost reminiscent of recent work from BAD OMENS, which is definitely not to be sniffed at.
Into The Dark leans heavily into more electronic production, which in this case is a bad thing. The whole four minutes and 25 seconds is a complete snooze fest and seems a bit of an odd addition to the track list, considering the more upbeat nature of what we have heard so far. Unfortunately from this point, Witch keeps going on a downward trajectory. Sleeping With The Enemy and a cover of STING‘s Wrapped Around Your Finger are both equally as forgettable, sadly.
Similarly, Without Me There’s No You is a little disappointing. Even though the production is evidently fantastic, there is no real crescendo to the track which lets it down. The curveball is a cover of PINK FLOYD‘s Another Brick In The Wall, which adds an incredibly haunting metal flavour to an already iconic track with production courtesy of Kat Von D. Even though closer Something I Can Never Have also has that atmospheric feel to it, it is not quite as impactful as the previous.
Whilst there are inevitably great aspects about Witch, it is clear that IN THIS MOMENT have a long way to go before they truly replicate the success of 2012’s Blood. Hard hitters like Crawl and their re-imagining of the iconic Another Brick In The Wall manage to redeem things somewhat, but unfortunately the majority of the release doesn’t quite hit the spot.
Rating: 6/10
Witch is out now via Better Noise Music.
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