Mother!
Maria Brink has always been a mesmerising live presence, a heady mix of Courtney Love, Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson topped off with her own unique vision, that has rarely been captured on record in all its glory. However, there is a rawness to Mother that gets closer than anything since Blood and succeeds in doing justice to what the band are capable of without the watering-down process of studio recording getting in the way. That’s not to say that this is some kind of garage jam though, far from it, and indeed it is possibly their most creative and adventurous record yet.
Conceptually there is a strong religious motif interwoven with themes of the feminine, fertility and motherhood. Mother nature, Mother Mary and literal motherhood come together to create a narrative that brings to mind both Darren Aronofsky’s film of the same title and the scarlet women of the Handmaid’s Tale.
Musically, the album has huge scope and ambition both in it’s range from it’s full out screaming to moments that are hymnal and ethereal. Not to mention a cover of We Will Rock You featuring Taylor Momsen and Lzzy Hale that is far better than it has any right to be.
Easily their strongest outing for some time this album should delight existing fans and anyone who likes some effort and extravagance in their rock and roll.
And besides, any album that ends by paying homage to Mazzy Star can only be good.
ARTIST: In This Moment
TITLE: Mother
MOOD: Bloody Mary
TOP TRACKS: Hunting Grounds, Lay Me Down, The In-Between