In This Moment & Motionless In White – The Dark Horizon Tour (w/ Fit For A King, From Ashes To New)

In This Moment and Motionless In White co-headline The Dark Horizon Tour at MVP Arena, w/ guests Fit For A King and From Ashes to New.

About In This Moment:

All cultures, religions, and belief systems share one commonality. Life springs forth from a mother. She bears, nurtures, cultivates, raises, and prepares children for the world. Without her, existence ceases. Much like the earth, life grows, thrives, and survives inside of and because of her…

Since coming to life in 2005, gold-selling hard rock provocateurs In This Moment have presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of a similar “mother” figure frontwoman Maria Brink—joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel, and Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group’s otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21^st century. To date, the quintet have garnered two gold singles—“Blood” and “Whore”—and one gold album, Blood [2012]. The latter notably launched a trifecta of Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with Black Widow [2014] and Ritual [2017]. Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, Ritual elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. In a 4-out-of-5 star review, KERRANG! called it “their best vehicle to date” as Alternative Press claimed, “Maria Brink is the Lady Gaga of the metal world” and went on to add, “Ritual flourishes as the metal love child of art-pop, gospel, Morrissey and Johnny Cash that the world didn’t know it needed until now.” Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside Disturbed and appeared at countless festivals from Rockville to Sonic Temple.

Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled Mother [Atlantic/Roadrunner]. Once again, In This Moment joined forces with longtime trusted collaborator Kevin Churko [Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch] in the studio. They pieced together a 14-track opus steeped in the lore they’ve created, yet indicative of another spiritual, philosophical, and stylistic evolution. Whereas Ritual hinted at a bluesy sonic sorcery, Mother breathes the activating mantra of an unbreakable spell. “We are so excited to unveil Mother to the world,” says Brink. “We feel like everything we’ve done has led us to this point and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the next chapter.”

Fittingly, first single “The In-Between” nods to In This Moment staples by name: “Blood,” “Whore,” and “Beautiful Tragedy,” to name a few. At the same time, it slips from Maria’s intimate verses into a distortion-backed promise, “I’m gonna bring a little Hell. I’m gonna bring a little Heaven.” Elsewhere, cinematic organ gives way to haunting whispers on “As Above So Below.” She turns down a Faustian pact over a dramatic eighties beat and hummable riff before a sweeping and soaring vocal crescendo, “What you give comes back threefold, as above, so below.” The seductive groove of “Lay Me Down” spirals towards a hypnotic hook as guitars toss and turn.

In many ways, In This Moment’s conjuration of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” crystallizes their power like never before. Accompanied by a choir of femme fatales including Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and Taylor Momsen of Pretty Reckless, it might just be the fiercest Mother moment of all lifted to the heavens by a stadium-busting beat and Howorth’s six-string precision. Welcoming another friend into the fold, Joe Cotella of Ded cameos on “Hunting Ground.” Everything culminates on the last word of “Into Dust” with one last catharsis.

In the end, Mother gives new life to In This Moment and, ultimately, hard rock.

Since coming to life in 2005, gold-selling hard rock provocateurs In This Moment have presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of “mother” figure and frontwoman Maria Brink—joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel, and Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group’s otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as one of the most influential and impactful bands of the 21^st century. To date, the quintet have garnered two gold singles—“Blood” and “Whore”—and one gold album, Blood [2012]. The latter notably launched a trifecta of Top 25 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with Black Widow [2014] and Ritual [2017]. Bringing their total stream tally well past 200 million as of 2020, Ritual elevated them to new creative and critical peaks as well. In a 4-out-of-5 star review, KERRANG! called it “their best vehicle to date” as Alternative Press claimed, “Maria Brink is the Lady Gaga of the metal world” and went on to add, “Ritual flourishes as the metal love child of art-pop, gospel, Morrissey and Johnny Cash that the world didn’t know it needed until now.” Between selling out headline tours coast-to-coast, the group performed in arenas everywhere alongside Disturbed and appeared at countless festivals from Rockville to Sonic Temple.

Along the way, they assembled their seventh full-length, the aptly titled Mother [Roadrunner Records] with longtime trusted collaborator Kevin Churko [Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch]. Whereas Ritual hinted at a bluesy sonic sorcery, Mother breathes the activating mantra of an unbreakable spell, commenced on first single “The In-Between.”

More on In This Moment

In certain serendipitous cases, a band’s name perfectly encapsulates their essence, and heavy metal rockers In This Moment are a case in point – the sheer power and immediacy Maria Brink’s vocals make it difficult to be anywhere else. Simultaneously vulnerable and snarling, Brink’s emotional growl is a focal point on 2012’s Blood, the band’s 4th – and most successful – album to date. Singles like “Blood” and “Whore” pulled no punches, landing the album at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock chart and cementing Brink’s place as one of the dominant female voices in alternative metal. After forming in Albany in 2005, the band’s 2007 debut Beautiful Tragedy quickly made them a metal festival staple and the opening act of choice for bands like Megadeth and Rob Zombie. Their 3rd album, 2010’s A Star-Crossed Wasteland, was a crossover success, landing at No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart and spawning a hit with “The Promise”. On Tour in 2013, the band has been blowing ticket buyers away with their thundering live concert, pulling fans into the moment with Brink’s commanding presence.

Over the course of their career, In This Moment have played many famous venues to capacity, like Observatory North Park and House of Blues.

About Motionless in White:

An industrial city situated in Northeastern Pennsylvania, you could say Scranton quietly prides itself on a tried-and-true Rust Belt blue-collar work ethic.

For their fourth full-length album and first for Roadrunner Records Graveyard Shift, Motionless In White—Chris Motionless [Vocals], Ricky Horror [Guitar], Ryan Sitkowski [Guitar], Ghost [Bass], and Vinny Mauro [Drums]—dug into the roots of their hometown’s pervasive attitude.

“We’re a band that came out of the small town blue-collar spirit,” affirms Chris. “We put ten years into growing this and working hard to do what we love the most. We look forward to putting in another ten. Both the area we come from and the fan base brought us to this point. Graveyard Shift is all about that work ethic. It’s been instilled in us. Early on, we realized if you give the time and effort to chase a dream, it’s possible to achieve it by the sheer amount of drive and passion you have.”

Since 2006, that ethos has fueled Motionless In White’s rise to the upper echelon of modern rock. Albums such as 2010’s Creatures and Infamous in 2012 would galvanize a rabid fan base around the quintet. During 2014, Reincarnate reached new heights, bowing at #9 on the Billboard Top 200 and claiming #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart. The title track and lead single turned into a Top 20 Active Rock smash and notched 13.2 million YouTube views and 9.8 million Spotify streams. Simultaneously, they have shared stages alongside everyone from Slipknot, Korn, and Breaking Benjamin to A Day To Remember and Marilyn Manson in addition to making arresting festival appearances at Warped Tour, Aftershock, Rock On The Range, Rock Allegiance, and beyond.

In 2016, they entered a Los Angeles studio with producer and longtime collaborator Drew Fulk [Emmure, Crown The Empire] to record what would become Graveyard Shift.

“It was all about writing bigger, better, and more refined songs,” exclaims the frontman. “On Reincarnate, we felt like we had discovered our true identity. This record wasn’t so much centered on experimentation as it was on refinement. In the past, I feel like I always placed the vocals second to music. This time, there was a focus on trying to make sure the vocals had their big moments. That was a major key in really making Graveyard Shift separate from all of the other albums. I haven’t really been able to look back at anything I would’ve done differently or something I didn’t feel like I put my whole heart into here. I just feel incredibly confident about everything on the record.”

Motionless In White introduced this latest body of work with the galloping gut punch of “570”—the area code of Scranton and something of an homage to home. In less than three months, it amassed 3.1 million Spotify streams and amplified anticipation for the full-length’s impending arrival.

“Last summer, I had the opportunity to meet with a lot of fans on Warped Tour and have some very intense, personal, and deep discussions,” recalls Chris. “I walked away from these meetings feeling energized. Whether the conversations were dark or uplifting, I was ready to approach anything in my way with how I felt afterwards. Our current single, ‘LOUD,’ is a direct result of that energy. I wanted to encourage people to feel the same way. It’s definitely one of the more powerful and inspirational messages on the album.”

Throughout its 12 tracks, Graveyard Shift weaves together various personal vignettes. From embracing one’s dark side on “Necessary Evil” [feat. Jonathan Davis] to the hypnotic and humorous ode to Danny Elfman’s influential body of work, “Not My Type (Dead As Fuck 2),” the record remains unpredictable at every turn. “Eternally Yours” signals a first for the group.

“It’s our first true love song,” Chris goes on. “There was a very poetic and romantic approach. That’s something, as a lyricist, I have been trying to explore more of within myself over the past few albums.  It’s a special song for all of us.”

Scranton plays a subtle role in the overarching narrative itself. Chris can recall finding early inspiration in the city’s once fertile music scene, which slowly dissipated over the years. At the same time, he and his bandmates have transported that energy worldwide with Graveyard Shift.

“I like to think we’re taking our favorite traits of this area on the road and showing the rest of the world what Scranton created out of all that great camaraderie, those friendships, and the memories,” he says. “We all come from the same spot. It’s something I think many people all over the world can identify with. We’re not content to just sit still and let life happen. We want to show you can take the initiative, go out there, and make a difference for yourself. That rings throughout all of the songs and speaks to the true meaning of Graveyard Shift.”

Ultimately, Motionless In White have the power to electrify a new love for rock music in the process.

“We’re quite a simple band in terms of our intent,” he leaves off. “Turn off your head, detach from reality, listen to the music, and enjoy the songs. That’s what we’re encouraging. We want to give people something to latch on to away from life’s bullshit. I hope they walk away feeling their love for music was either restored or upheld.”