In this Moment - Are spectaculer in London!

March 5th 2015

London, Koko, UK

*****

"I can’t hear you London, am I Beautiful?"

In this Moment ***** Make no mistake this was not a gig, this was not a concert, it was a ‘spectacular, spectacular’ Glam style musical show. Moulin Rouge meets a twisted dark dungeon with beautiful but grotesque dancing mannequins. Visually tantalising with a whiff of Baudelaire about it and power driven eroticism.

Their is a big spider banner covering the stage, that is building up anticipation for In this Moment's performance tonight. With a flash it falls down revealing the stage and Maria in a haunting get up, while 'The Infection' intro plays... until they burst into the first track 'Sick like Me'. Maria Brink just looking perfect for ever song, which she had a new costume for... In this Moment are really showing the future and what concerts should be like.

Numerous costume changes, allowed Maria Brink to exhibit different facets throughout the show and her different faces and sides to her personality. Brink is a hyper sexualized parody of a Barbie, out for the adulation. She is a dominatrix, bossing her audience into a frenzy, with songs like opener ‘Sick like Me’ which see's her with evil claws a cape and big hat to when she is a caged like animal during 'Big bad Wolf'.

Maria really is the new Queen of Metal and outshines artists like Madonna when she was at her best. She is just beautiful and fantastic and I think this new title is suiting her well, because at times during her performance she took on characteristics of the ‘Evil Queen’ with a fairy tale crown. Then she switches to a Lilith style femme fatal, the rejected aspect of femininity, characterised as dangerous and the dirty evil whore.

She is the original equal of man, who is empowered by her sexuality, which can’t be dominated or controlled by men. She is the seducer, and not a sexual object. In this Moment though have the ability to change their sound at the blink of an eye, like with the amazingly heavy 'Adrenalize' which has a really killer riff to it, and even moves into the World of Metalcore at times.

The ability of the members of the band really helps to create the atmosphere on stage, looking like demonic beasts of Metal ready to destroy anyone that they come in contact with, using the power of Metal. You can see their is some real talent their and Maria has picked wisely people to work with.

"Dance for me you sick twisted doll"... Maria says as she comes on as a Heavy Metal Barbie and breaks into 'Sex Metal Barbie', which is a really fun and striking track. She prays on the fact that both girls and guys love her and that the fact she is probably the fantasy of both sexes. She hints at the fact that Barbie is a sexual being with slight lifts of her skirt and pouts of her lips, and this excites the on lookers.

Her character shifted into a more vulnerable softer expression of femininity for 'Into the Light', which was visually amazing, but I happen to find this song particularly insipid, and a little ironic in contrast to their other songs. It is not a song I am going to include on any of my personal playlists... however, I seemed to be outvoted on that one. Her audience loved it all and I am sure as I know their material a little better I could be persuaded to change my mind.

Their energy is food for Maria Brink an offering to the Black Window spider idol to consume... this is very fitting seeing her new album is named after this said spider and a track that she devoured people with earlier in the set. 'Beautiful Tragedy' has hints of New years Day and Evanescence and drags you into a more commercial edge to In this Moment, showing they could possible be headlining a major festival in years to come.

A lot of people don't like Metal / Rock musical instrumental segments, but this one that goes way past exportations. It is really enjoyable and well put together and one of the best parts of the show was Tom Hanes, drum solo and, the instrumentals of Chris Howarth, Randy Weitzel and Travis Johnson.

These guys look like awesome Rock giants in great outfits as we said before and play like they have just been released from a cage... (Maybe the cage that Maria is in at one point in the performance). The musicality and the way these guys play together is just brilliant and they are as tight as anything, showing a real love of playing on the stage as a unit.

Playing in Maria Brinks shadow for most of the show is an intentional demonstration of her sexual dominance, and female empowerment. They are skilled musicians and I am glad she allows them to have this moment of brilliance. I think she knows where her bread is buttered and to keep musicians like this in your band you need to give them a chance to shine on the stage.

One of the highlights of the show is when Maria is given the dunces hat for the anthem 'Whore' as she sits on her stool, offering the art of the seduction of her whore persona to the audience in the front row. In way this song is really moving... but at the same time in your face. Also one song encore number 'Blood' really hits all your taste buds like a vamperic gem of majestic delight. This end the show off in a spectacular fashion and leaves you wanting more and more...

I was left feeling the show was driven more by aesthetics than the music. It seemed to me that the lighting and Maria Brink’s slow deliberate movements were very consciously choreographed to play to cameras in the mosh pit, so that Brink looks incredible in every photo. It is worth going to see In this Moment for the enjoyment of the live show. The level of showmanship is what impressed me, rather than a love of their music, and it certainly explains why they have climbed the ladder at such a fast pace, since forming in 2005.