In This Moment - "GODMODE"
In This Moment activates GODMODE, then turns it off
In This Moment is a California-based metal act with a large set of genric signatures present in their music. They are primarily a blend of Alt and Industrial Metal, but there are also frequently detectable elements lifted from Gothic, Nu, and Pop Metal, along with Metalcore, similar Rock genres, and Post-Hardcore. The band was founded by, and is still led by, frontwoman Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth.
GODMODE is In This Moment’s 8th studio album, following 2020’s Mother, which I rated Green.
GODMODE starts strong, with several hard-hitting tracks, especially “The Purge”, which makes heavy use of their Industrial and Nu elements. These early tracks really impart a sense of what the album’s title was maybe intended to mean in terms of the band’s technical execution. The first four tracks really set an incredible tone.
Unfortunately, the last six, while still good, don’t quite hit the same level. There’s a shift in focus starting with “Skyburner”, which feels very Spiritbox, frankly. There are still some heavy riffs here, but it’s more of a mid-tempo lamenting sort of ballad — praising this powerful other, referred to as “Skyburner”, while also begging that same omnipotent presence to give the speaker its attention.
“Skyburner” is immediately followed by “Sanctify Me” and “Everything Starts and Ends With You”, which both kind of follow the same approach — they’re heavy, but slower. The tone here is very deliberate. But even when it sounds like they’re going for it, when you listen close, they really aren’t. It feels like they’re just content with what they have.
“Sanctify Me”, especially, should leave my face totally melted, but I come out the other side of it kinda disappointed.
They’re still good songs, but they’ve been pulled back. Kinda like how when you go into a haunted house and you can’t quite shake the knowledge that, even with a good jump scare, you’re perfectly safe.
“Damaged” brings it back up a bit with the inclusion of Ice Nine Kills’ Spencer Charnas, and the song manages to go decently hard, then pull back, and go again.
Overall, this is another solid effort from In This Moment, proving that they have the chops. They really just need to commit to it. I love mid-tempo tracks with languishing vocals, but those songs really just took over the album after such a promising start.
GODMODE is still a good step up over Mother, but it’ll still fall, barely, into the same bucket.
Rating: Green