CoNtrivedNiHilism

In This Moment, Maria Brink. Here's a band and a frontwoman I have tried to take seriously or like for the longest time. She's theatrical, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I like a good Metal show and theatrics are fine in my book. But it is how show presents them, almost like she wanted to be a some pop mega star before a singer in a Metal/Pop band. I mean, I get that she is up there trying to show that women can be in Metal too, and be just as extreme or good at it. A lot of the videos I've watched of live footage, Maria is up there doing this choreographed dances with stage dancers. And I'm like...uh, so if you wanted to do this sort of thing, why not be a pop star? It just comes off as fake or dishonest to me. I guess there is no set thing a Metal bands live set is supposed to be or look like. But this annoys me for some reason.

Why do so many people like Maria Brink and her band? She's not half bad looking, I'll admit that. She's got a pretty powerful voice, no question there. But it really does look like she took up a spot in a Metal band because maybe she tried pop music first and failed. I don't know much about this band, and I'd rather ask this community to fill things in for me.

Should I write this band off as try hard or give them a chance? I've heard plenty, just never full albums.

Some of what I mean below...

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Jonts

Interesting, in the back of my mind I think I thought along similar lines. Her performances seem very theatrically OTT but I guess she wants to give people their money's worth.

Personally I loved the period of The Gun Show and Just Drive (her vocal in that really floored me first time I heard it, the lady can scream), but when I first saw some of their more recent videos it seemed a shame how they're going for more style over substance.

I liked her fairy princess image too, at least she was doing it properly and could carry it off. Not so sure about this burlesque dominatrix thing now though.

CoNtrivedNiHilism

Money's worth? She could do that without doing something that reads like she wants to be a pop star. I get that the song is called Sex Metal Barbie, which is more or less about where a woman stands in the world of Metal, or they have as much right as a man to be in a Metal band, or sort of an empowerment message for other women wanted to be active in Metal. I think it is perfectly fine to encourage or empower women to be in Metal, because I think more should be. But her image in that video for the song does not sell or read like anything else to me other than a woman that's really just a glorified pop star in a Metal band that so happens to pull off those guttural growls and screams.

I like her voice. And you mentioned that they seem more style over substance these days. You're right. Because their most recent Black Widow album is basic and horridly radio friendly Metal/Pop. They've sort of always had that sound, I have listened as far back as I could and noticed that. But even old material isn't really hitting on positives for me. Ditch that whole image thing and put out music with some depth.

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Jonts

Good luck to her I say, she doesn't seem the type to do something against her better judgement. I'll miss the fairytale sluttier cousin of Amy Lee though, this new PVC bondage queen thing is....Marilyn manson's young stepsister finding the key to her mum's makeup cabinet perhaps?

CoNtrivedNiHilism

Whatever it is, it doesn't work for her.

She should reference Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil. That woman could teach her a thing or two.

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Jonts

Ever notice how she sounds weirdly like Kylie Minogue though? Ruined that band for me once it popped into my head, and I'd been heavily infatuated with Cristina for several years by that point.

I'd also agree the new style doesn't really work that well for Maria (or indeed the gentlemen of In This Moment, they're the real losers in this picture). Especially live; have you seen youtube clips of them recreating that weird strippers-on-stilts thing onstage? Not for me, maybe it's a new style of fetish targeted towards people who have recently broken their leg.

CoNtrivedNiHilism

Well, I actually don't think Cristina sounds anything like Kylie, always thought Cristina had a distinct or unique, stronger/powerful voice.

The guys backing Maria aren't hacks. I think that they could pull of something a lot better than what we hear with In This Moment. I have to settle with the opinion that it's Maria that limits what the guys backing her can do. She wants to be pop oriented, the guys want to be heavy and technical, have a more structured sound but it's just not always there.

If Maria wants to do Pop music. Do it. Don't fake it out in a Metal band. And it isn't that I think In This Moment is horrible. I just feel that it's simple music and could be better.

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Jonts

At the very least I'll be digging out my copy of Karmacode and giving it a good listen for old times sake, so I'll thank you for that.

I hope you'll hear some other opinions over time while the thread is still active.

CoNtrivedNiHilism

Do one better and get a copy of Unleashed Memories, Comalies is really good too. I like all of Lacuna Coil's discography. I was a little underwhelmed with Broken Crown Halo, good album, but a little too much dabbling in with a more commercial, radio friendly approach. Dark Adrenaline was the better album.

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Jonts

Thanks for the head-ups, I've got Comalies somewhere but from memory preferred Karmacode for the heavier riffs. Will look up their more recent stuff on Deezer once I've gone through the selection of Buckethead albums I've just downloaded, but let's not go there.