In This Moment

By Fringe Staff

With Chris Howorth & Maria Brink

By Josh Pierson

When I was informed that I was going to be able to sit down with ‘In This Moment’ I was more than thrilled. They are a band that truly impressed me at Ozzfest this past summer, and had an album that was from start to finish, intriguing, to say the least.

This past September 11th I walked into the Warfield in S.F. with a Megadeth press pass on my chest and was escorted back stage to sit down with In This Moment founders-guitarist Chris Howorth and vocalist Maria Brink. As I was waiting for them to finish their dinner I caught Dave Mustaine out of the corner of my eye and all of a sudden I felt a sense of excitement to be in the same room with him. I had to remind myself that I was there to do a job.

Since last May when the full Ozzfest line-up was revealed to the public, to just a few days ago when it was announced that In This Moment would open for the Ozzy and Rob Zombie tour, In This Moment has had a summer and fall to never be forgotten (and to envy as well). Talking to the band I could tell that they were so excited. All of their dreams were rapidly coming true. Ozzfest, now Megadeth, and then the fall Ozzy/Zombie tour… They are one of few bands that Century Media Records has been pushing heavily since the departure of Shadows Fall: and rightfully so. Maria’s vocals are absolutely ferociousand even more so live. Mixed with a very melodic, rhythmic band backing her up, In This Moment is able to mix several genres of music together. I was proud to be able to sit down with Chris and Maria before the show. Fringe: On Beautiful Tragedy being the new single, …”It’s a little bit less Metal than most of the album, so it was a bit of a surprise to me…”

Chris: “That’s why we decided to release it as our second single, because it is a little less metal and we can push it on radio, be a little more accessible. Cause you know my guitar is on the same setting for every song on the record, and it’s all metal.”

Fringe: “Obviously jumping from SoCal to getting signed on Century Media and then Ozzfest…how was that experience for you guys?”

Chris: “It’s still going man. It’s been a roller coaster for us once we first wrote the songs and got the band going. We knew we had to tour by ourselves. We got a van. I sold my truck. We all quit our jobs and went on tour. Ever since that point, it’s been a continuous progression of building. We started off the year with the record done, touring with Kittie… Went to Europe already, then Ozzfest, now Megadet. Main support is like a dream come true man. I don’t know how to describe it.”

Fringe: “It’s a surprise to me to see Century Media push you guys the way they are. They are a great label for a lot of bands that are starting out, Shadows Fall for instance…Why do you think they are pushing you more than a lot of others right now?”

Chris: “I think what it boils down to is that they signed us because they don’t have a lot of bands that sound like us on the label, and they thought it might be something different and they can market it a bit differently. They do have Arch Enemy. We also have a really great management team. They’re very active in everything and have a good relationship with the label. They’ve been really supportive of every step that we’ve taken so far as a band.

Fringe: “So none of you guys have any jobs back home? You’re just constantly touring?”

Chris: “We’re not rich or anything. We’re not making any money yet, but we hope to. This is our living so we don’t have to do anything. We’ve just been touring non-stop so we haven’t had a chance to have jobs. We were touring most of the year. We stopped to make the record because we knew we had to go out again. This year started with touring. We’ve had a total of maybe 3 weeks off spread out throughout the entire year. Other than that, it’s been on the road doing shows.

Fringe: “How exciting is this really? I mean touring Ozzfest and now Megadeth….”

Chris: “The festival experience is something we have never done before. It’s a crazy awesome fun adventure going from the festival to Megadeth. Megadeth is an awesome band. It has got a big production. It’s the coolest tour we’ve ever been on. I’m a huge Megadeth fan, and seeing Dave Mustaine and watching them sound check: I’m just having to pinch myself man. It’s crazy…”

Fringe: “I have to admit, when I saw Dave Mustaine walk around the corner, I….”

Chris: “He’s one of the coolest people. He has completely welcomed us in. No attitude. He’s just taken care of us, making sure everything’s good and couldn’t be cooler.

Fringe: “The sound is a lot different from a lot of things that are out right now. I hear a lot of different influences, but I’m not even going to sit here and say what I think your influences were. What were some of your influences coming into this?”

Maria: “I’m influenced by so many people. I love Tool. I love Sarah McLachlan, and I like Pantera and heavier things, and Metallica. I think for me everything’s from one end all the way to the other.. I think that’s why some of it (talking about the new album) is so heavy and some of it goes pretty….it’s like wait, I’m losing my mind! But he’s (talking about Chris) the metal man…”

Chris: “I love that title. I love metal too…but her and I have this combination of making up our sound and making the fights be over metal, over melody. I love melody too. I was into all the 80’s bands and there’s always singing and guitar work, I like that too. But Pantera, Testament, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, you know all these bands are big influences on me.

Fringe: “The name, In This Moment, reading the story about how it all started for your guys, is there any kind of story behind the name or is it just one of those names where your kind of like, eh f*** it, sounds good?”

Chris: “It did pop in our heads pretty quickly. It was before we even wrote the first two songs, before we really even had a full band assembled. Maria and I wrote two songs on a four track and then I was in a band with Jeff (drummer) and he kind of came in and helped us out with drums and stuff. But we were like, what are we gonna call the project. So let’s call it, ‘In This Moment’ because that’s what it is. We’re doing it in this moment-right now. Everything kind of tied together. Unbeknownst to us the song names just kind of fit everything. So I don’t know, it just kind of fits the whole outlook of the band. We didn’t really mean for it to be that way but it just ended up being that way. Every single band I’ve ever been in, we’ve always associated it with something dark or metal like Deadset, or Sick This, all these different names like that. This is the first band I’ve really been in that the name doesn’t have any kind of negative connotation in it. It’s kind of just a positive type thing.

Fringe: “What’s the plan after this tour? Any other big tours in the works?”

Chris: “I am not at liberty to announce who it’s with yet, but it should be like sometime this week. I’ll give you a hint-it’s us and two other bands, it’s three months and it’s arenas of the full U.S. and Canada…” Fringe: “Ozzy and Rob Zombie…?”

Chris: “(Laughing) I can’t say. That’s a really good suggestion though….”

Fringe: “As a last question. And I’m always surprised by this question. Name three new albums that are just blowing you away, besides yours?”

Chris: “This is pretty easy for me. The newest 36 Crazyfists record is amazing. Ankla, their record is sic. They’re such good dudes, and they kill it. They killed it every day at Ozzfest. And uh, 3 Inches of Blood, the new Fire Up the Blades, I’ve been listening to that on my Ipod and I’m really diggin’ it. I love they’re sound, they’re style, the way they are kind of taking it back a little bit 80’s wise and the vocals are really killer.”

I want to go ahead and thank Chris for giving me his time and I guess I am more of a psychic than I thought, seeing as they are opening on the Ozzy/ Zombie tour this fall. If you ever get a chance, I suggest getting out there and checking this band out because whether you’re into metal or rock or even Sarah Mclachlan, you may find this to be a breath of fresh air!