The period of maternity, in the philosophical sense of the term, is like the peak of life and the need for one to give.
It is, after all, the most important crossroads of life.
Women perceive it more with instinct, whereas men express it in different ways.
The word “mother” itself indicates a peak and above all a turn to life.
The seventh work of In This Moment comes as a capstone to the band’s 15-year career.
The title “Mother” probably proves who is holding the helms of the band.
Of course, we are talking about frontwoman Maria Brink, who long before she started her melodic “adventure” became a mother.
From the first steps of our child nutrition adventure is the soup.
As the years go by, people tend to return to their childish eating habits in a more imaginative way.
Cucumber soup is one of the most unusual but widely used in Central and Eastern Europe. Made of pickled cucumbers.
The album is produced by Kevin Churko, who has worked with the biggest names in music. He is also involved in composing two songs.
If you don’t want to buy pickled cucumbers, you can make them yourself, which is done in almost every home in Central Europe.
Just beware, not the usual ones you find in any Super Market, but in Russian shops.
The Beginning (Interlude)
The album begins with “The Beginning (Interlude)“, a half-minute musical prelude, as an introduction to “Mother“.
A composition that looks like an introduction to a song.
Plain and accompanied by Maria Brink’s whispers, which blends in perfectly with the next song.
If you want to make your own pickled cucumbers, the ingredients you will need are:
Cucumbers small variety, those with thorns and many aromatics, garlic, dill (better with branch), horseradish root, alternative sour cherry leaves and coarse salt (better mineral)
Fly like an Eagle
The beginning of the album is a cover of Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle“.
Performed in a way that will take you a while to understand what this is all about.
A hit almost guaranteed and proof of the singer’s musical personality, but also the intelligence of the producer Kevin Churko.
The drums, almost like a march, give an essence of greatness to the composition, while giving the definition of cover and not copy!
The beauty of this song‘s simplicity also reflects the simplicity of pickled cucumbers.
After washing them thoroughly, dry them and place them in one-liter jars perpendicular.
We clean the horseradish root and garlic cloves. In each jar 2-3 cloves of garlic and a pinch of horseradish. Together 2 leaves of sour cherry and a sprig of dill.
At the same time mix the salt with lukewarm water (preferably bottled), a tablespoon full of salt/liter. You can also do it with boiling water.
Fill the jars with the brine and always we are careful that the cucumbers are tight in the jar.
We close the top jars very well and put them in a cool place and if you used warm water then cover them with a blanket for a 12-hour period.
At temperatures, up to 25 degrees Celsius and they will be ready in 4-7 days. If you do not want soup it is a great vodka snack.
The In-Between
Once the cucumbers are ready, we continue listening to “The Red Crusade (Interlude)“, a 40-second introduction to “The In-Between“, the band’s first single, and the album’s first composition.
Featuring producer Kevin Churko, Maria Brink, guitarist Christopher Howorth, and guitarist Randy Weitzel.
A composition reminiscent of their previous albums, their trademark song, with the melody being defined by the vocals of the singer.
In a more velvety production, though.
Before finishing the song, clean 2 carrots and rub them into a thick grater. In a frying pan we put the butter with the grated carrot and brown them.
At the same time, in a saucepan, boil about 1.5 liters of water with two or three cubes of beef or a piece of meat (but it must have already been boiled).
Also, put 4-5 bay leaves and a few granules of allspice.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes of 1.5 cm. Add in the carrot a chopped onion or a leek cut into thin rings.
Legacy
The “Legacy” that follows is the song that shows the band’s clear shift to alternative expression, from metalcore, where they started.
Maria’s voice is the dominant one, with the keys keeping the rhythm beautiful and the guitars having a discreet presence, which almost seems to be absent.
Showing the way to radios of greater acceptance.
When the onion and the carrot turn brown, put them in the pot with the boiling water. In the same pan, put the potatoes to grab a little and then put them in the pot.
Add vegeta, powdered coriander, pepper, and some salt for the end.
We Will Rock You
Covering Queen certainly requires a lot of boldness, which the band has.
With “We Will Rock You” being the second cover of the album.
Together with Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless prove that they can do it very well.
At the same time, showing who will be the “boss” in the coming year… Scilicet, the female voices!
Although they “bedevil” the song, they flirt comfortably with charts and commercial paths.
That’s the purpose of the album… To sell and having the acceptance of the harsh reviewers and metalheads.
Mother
At the same time that the most emblematic song of the album and its homonym, “Mother“, starts, we rub the contents of a jar of cucumbers on a coarse grater.
We keep its liquids as well as the brine from the jar.
The seventh song of the seventh album, almost in theatrical style, with the vocals dominating, shows the style of the band that wants to follow.
With fragments from the past, but as if leaving the metal cloak, it proves their maturity.
It is difficult for the ears of an average listener, but also to become a hit.
However, it is a very smart and strong composition that will surely please the band’s friends.
As Above, So Below
While our material boils down to a slow fire, “As Above, So Below” comes into play, a more powerful track yet remaining on the alternative side.
Its steady tempo is being colored by the vocals of the singer. Pretty charming, but it doesn’t seem to stand out.
On the other hand, if you want to make the soup a bit spicier, you can try home-made hot pastes, which are mostly organic.
Born in Flames
While “Born in Flames” gently caresses our ears, we test whether the soup ingredients are cooked.
It is the second song on the album, which does not particularly impress, but also comes close to moderation, as it holds a good level.
A purely alternative composition, at the borders of a ballad. However, we must not rest on our oars as the difficulty of the soup is coming on the end.
When the grated cucumber comes in, along with the brine, we also taste the salinity of the soup.
God Is She
At the same time comes “God Is She“, which slightly lifts the tempo compared to the previous two songs.
Allow the soup to boil for 5 more minutes. Then in another container, take 3-4 spoons out of the hot soup and mix with 200gr of sour cream, pouring it slowly.
The song also doesn’t get much attention, so we can concentrate on the soup.
Holy Man
“Holy Man“, being rhythmic, improves the continuity of the album but is not nearing the amazing start.
But the finish of the soup is what gives the final touch of the dairy cream. Add the previous mixture slowly to the pan while stirring.
Once the soup has cooled down it is ready.
If you want you can add a spice like a curry and a little greenery, that is dill which is the most appropriate and you can do it now.
Hunting Grounds
“Hunting Grounds” with Joe Cotela of Ded, wakes us up with a vengeance.
Even though it’s not impressive, as it moves to predictable levels of music, it howbeit escapes the slowness of previous tracks, but only the American public can be charmed.
To make the soup even more appealing, you can add boiled eggs.
It is the second composition that includes producer Kevin Churko.
Lay Me Down
The soup is eaten cold, though “Lay Me Down” reminds us of the fantastic first half of the album.
Rhythmic and catchy. It flirts with metal, reminding us that the band has two guitarists.
Into Dust
The album closes with yet another cover, Mazzy Star’s “Into Dust“.
It is an acoustic performance with the piano playing the dominant role.
Perhaps the only purpose of this cover is to emphasize Maria Brink’s sensual voice. Personally I prefer the performing with Hope Sandoval‘s voice.
In general, the album impresses at first, but it loses somewhere, especially from the middle.
This may be due to the company’s push to release a full-length album rather than EP.
Although it has several hits and shows that the band is looking for more and new audiences, than the one that metal has, it still does not lose in quality.
Fans of the band’s toughest side may skip over, but they will surely gain new fans.