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After In This Moment's 2007 debut, the Los Angeles quintet took part in something called the "Hot Chicks of Metal Tour." More recently, Revolver named vocalist Maria Brink one of the "Hot Chicks in Hard Rock." But all that boob-centric press is just a distraction from the band's cathartic and colorful brand of metal, and — in particular — Brink's crotch-punching wonder of a voice. In a thoroughly male-dominated genre, she's the real deal — and on Blood, her band's fourth full-length, she's never been more hypnotic. Throughout, producer Kevin Churko helps balance creepy, electro-tinged art-rock and Hot Topic-styled metal-core. The results are intermittently fascinating: opener "Rise with Me" is a simmering electro-orchestral stunner, with Brink belting some of the most powerful vocals you'll hear all year, regardless of genre. The industrial grind on title track "Blood" is both demented and undeniably catchy, with Brink shrieking, "I'm a dirty, dirty girl" over a souped-up bassline and atmospheric guitar fills. Meanwhile, on "11:11," our hostess channels her inner goth-soul princess over gorgeous, wordless harmonies — sort of like Amy Winehouse drowning in a bath of acid. At its most conventional (like on the rote, quiet-loud metal-pop of "Whore"), Blood sounds like R-rated Evanescence — a waste of such devilish talents. Elsewhere, In This Moment are up to some weird, wild, wonderful stuff.
