"Music, Love and Sex." These four words come from a track off In This Moment's new album Blood, which released this past Tuesday. It took me awhile to get into it but now that I am I love it. It is a 14-song album and each tune intertwines with at least one of the lyrics I mentioned above and together they tell a story. It will make you want to drop what you're doing and get busy with your woman, or whatever woman is next to you at the time.

The record opens with "Rise With Me," which is sort of an awakening to all its listeners. There aren't really any words but local front woman Maria Brink is saying that she is about to take you on a crazy journey that will leave you speechless and wanting more.

The proceeding three songs are in my opinion what make the album. "Blood," "Adrenalize" and "Whore" are simply-stated tracks that are mind-blowing with a powerful voice that evokes emotion. They are catchy but also kind of morbid in a sexy, beautiful way. Maria speaks of sex and relationships and the things that go along with them, good and bad, but she also says that the bad things can sometimes be sinfully awesome.

The remainder of the album works through the ins and outs of being in relationships and the self-proclaimed hatred that can sometimes ensue. The final track- "11:11" (make a wish, anyone?) acts as a conclusion or final offering for the rest of the album. It ties everything together in beautiful harmony, or "a beautiful tragedy" as Maria would say.

The artwork is also very intriguing. It features the band in black surrounded by white with hues of red, including a deep red apple that is rotten on the inside. The front cover shows the matured Maria on her throne with white, eye-less, naked virgins all around her as black feathers and birds make themselves known.  It reminds me of a twisted spin off of Alice In Wonderland and Sleeping Beauty- themes Maria is fond of and represented in past albums. The band have grown up and prove that life isn't one big fantasy. This album shows the dark side of seemingly-positive and preconceived notions and that the band is no longer in Kansas. They have landed where they belong.

I give this album four guitars!

Blood track listing:

  1. "Rise With Me"
  2. "Blood"
  3. "Adrenalize"
  4. "Whore"
  5. "You're gonna Listen"
  6. "It Is Written"
  7. "Burn"
  8. "Scarlet"
  9. "Aries"
  10. "From The Ashes"
  11. "Beast Within"
  12. "Comanche"
  13. "The Blood Legion"
  14. "11:11"

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