Black Widow (In This Moment album)

Background and new label

After the success of their 2012 album Blood and a headline tour, In This Moment announced that they were returning to the studio at the end February 2014 to begin working on a follow-up. Lead guitarist Chris Howorth told Billboard that they were again teaming up with longtime collaborator Kevin Churko, who has produced the band's previous records, and that the sound would continue with the same style as Blood. On their new evolved sound he remarked, "We feel like we found something and want to stick the flag in the ground on top of that hill." It was reported on February 5 that the band had signed with Atlantic Records. Frontwoman Maria Brink said of the new deal, "We are very excited to be releasing this album through Atlantic Records, who have put out some of the greatest and most revered albums of all time."

Album and songs

It was revealed on September 6, 2014 through the band's social media pages that new album details would be announced the following week. A redesign of the band's logo featured an image of a black widow, in line with the new album. On September 8, the first single, "Sick Like Me" premiered on Sirius Satellite Radio and was released to iTunes at midnight. The album's title was announced along with a headlining tour, which began in late October. Brink revealed the title is a metaphor for positive and negative life experiences and turning weaknesses into strength. She says, "This innocent young girl who gets infected with life, traumas, experiences, and the balance of light and darkness. She becomes this poised and powerful creature."

The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes on October 14 while the second single, "Big Bad Wolf", was released on October 21. Leaving little time in between, "Bloody Creature Poster Girl" was quickly released as a promotional single on October 27 and "Sex Metal Barbie", the third single, was released on November 4, reaching number 18 on iTunes, the highest position of an In This Moment song to date. Even before being released as the album's second single, "Big Bad Wolf" started to reach rotation and being played in most of the rock and metal radios; debuting into the top 100.

Reception

Black Widow debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 36,000 copies, marking the band's highest chart entry. By June 2015, the album had sold 120,000 copies. Johnny Price from RockRevolt wrote "Overall, it’s a solid album that showcases a band that continues to elevate its game as well as rise to the challenge of the doubters and haters. Will everyone enjoy it? Well, you would hope so, but there will always be haters. I just hope listeners will give it an honest listen and be open minded and they will probably be surprised with how much they like it." Lisa Nash from CrypticRock wrote "The work on Black Widow is musically strong, too, with some killer riffs. What is different is that there are not any polarizing songs, whereas in the past the group went too far with screams, and the aggression, at times, could be off putting. With this album, they have controlled it a lot more, creating a more consistent feel."

Track listing

All tracks written by Maria Brink, Chris Howorth, and Kevin Churko, except where noted. All tracks produced by Kevin Churko.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Black Widow.