asauldm | Music

“Witch” is the ninth studio album by the American band In This Moment, released on August 28, 2026, via Better Noise Music. The record contains 11 tracks and lasts about 49 minutes. It is the band’s first full-length release since “Godmode” (2023) and marks a new stage in the development of their signature blend of heavy metal, industrial sound, gothic aesthetics, and Maria Brink’s theatrical vocals.

Concept and Creation

The title “Witch” is directly connected to the central idea of the album — internal transformation and accepting one’s own power. Maria Brink describes the “witch” not as a literal image, but as a creator who takes pain, persecution, and life’s hardships and transforms them into strength. Thus, the album continues one of In This Moment’s core themes: turning personal trauma and conflict into art.

This is particularly interesting in the context of the band’s previous work. Images of witches, rituals, darkness, and mysticism were already an important part of “Ritual” (2017), but on “Witch” this image becomes significantly more personal. As Metal Planet Music notes, if “Ritual” told the story of a witch, now Brink effectively reclaims this image and makes it a metaphor for her own identity. (metalplanetmusic.com)

Musically, the band worked on the material in several directions, combining straightforward heavy tracks with atmospheric and almost dream-pop/alternative passages. It is precisely the contrast of aggression and vulnerability that serves as one of the main principles of the album.

Key Songs

“Shame”

The opening track immediately immerses the listener in the atmosphere of “Witch“. The song begins with an almost ritualistic whisper from Maria Brink, followed by a gradual buildup of guitars, drums, and industrial electronics. Theme — turning shame into strength. Instead of accepting an imposed sense of guilt, the heroine returns it to the one who tried to humiliate her. Kerrang! called the intro a kind of apocalyptic industrial explosion and particularly noted Brink’s ability to transition from a quiet, almost intimate vocal to a powerful scream. (Kerrang!)

“I Want To Believe” feat. Dayseeker

One of the most melodic tracks on the album. It features Rory Rodriguez from Dayseeker, whose clean vocals create a contrast with Brink’s theatrical style. The song balances between alternative metal, post-hardcore, and atmospheric rock, showcasing the softer side of the album. The vocal interaction between the two artists is its main strength.

“Crawl”

One of the key singles and arguably the most directly heavy track on the album. Industrial groove, low-tuned guitars, and Brink’s gradual transition from a whisper to aggressive vocals create a sense of constantly building tension. The lyrics are dedicated to people who use power to inflict pain on others. The core idea is that eventually, the abuser will be forced to face the consequences of their actions.

“Into The Dark”

Here, “Witch” drastically shifts its atmosphere. Instead of aggressive industrial metal, the band uses dark synthesizers, spacious soundscapes, and almost dreamlike vocals. Kerrang! called such tracks one of the most interesting aspects of the record: they prove that In This Moment can create atmosphere even when the guitars take a back seat. (Kerrang!)

“Sleeping With The Enemy”

One of the strongest singles on the album. The song is built around paranoia, distrust, and the realization that danger might be right next to you. Brink’s vocals here are particularly theatrical: she starts almost calmly, then transitions into a signature aggressive chorus. Kerrang! considers the track one of the best examples of the band’s ability to combine a radio-friendly hook with gothic-industrial metal. (Kerrang!)

“Wrapped Around Your Finger”

A slower and more seductive track about control, dependency, and psychological power in a relationship. The song doesn’t try to compete with the album’s heavy tracks, but rather creates a necessary contrast. It is thanks to such songs that “Witch” does not turn into an endless stream of breakdowns and industrial beats.

“Heretic” feat. Kim Dracula

One of the most experimental moments of the record. Kim Dracula is an artist known for an extremely eclectic mix of metal, industrial, pop, rap, and other genres — and their participation perfectly fits the chaotic nature of the track. “Heretic” is a short, aggressive, and intentionally disorienting track in which Brink and Kim Dracula essentially create a musical conflict between two very theatrical characters.

“Father”

One of the most emotional tracks on the album. Musically, it is much calmer than most of the heavy tracks, while the lyrics focus on painful personal experiences. Kerrang! compares the emotional impact of “Father” to In This Moment’s most dramatic songs from previous years and calls it the band’s strongest emotional track since “Out of Hell” (2014). (Kerrang!)

“Without Me There’s No You”

One of the most cinematic tracks on the album. Here, the band shifts the focus even further from metal toward dark atmospheric rock. The composition sounds like the climax of the personal story of “Witch“: dependency, pain, attachment, and an attempt to understand where love ends and losing oneself begins.

“Another Brick In The Wall” feat. Kat Von D

The album’s most unexpected choice — a reimagining of the classic Pink Floyd track. Featuring Kat Von D, In This Moment turns “Another Brick In The Wall” into a much more industrial/metal version. The original theme of control and suppression of personality fits seamlessly into the concept of “Witch“, although the decision to remake such a famous song became one of the album’s most debated moments.

“Something I Can Never Have”

The finale — a cover of Nine Inch Nails. The choice of this song is very revealing: instead of ending the album with another heavy track, In This Moment leaves the listener with a slow, painful, and almost vulnerable track. This allows the album to close not with triumph, but with a kind of emotional release.

Sound Characteristics

One of the most interesting features of “Witch” is its duality.

On one hand:

• heavy guitars;
• industrial beats;
• nu-metal riffs;
• screams;
• aggressive breakdown passages.

On the other hand:

• dreamlike synths;
• atmospheric rock;
• piano;
• gothic melodies;
• Maria Brink’s soft vocals.

Kerrang! highlights this very contrast as one of the main strengths of the album. (Kerrang!)

As a result, “Witch” sounds not like a purely metal release, but rather like a dark theatrical production, where heavy tracks alternate with atmospheric ones.

Critical and Fan Reception

Professional reaction to the album is mostly positive, but not unanimous.

Kerrang! — 4/5. The publication calls “Witch” one of In This Moment’s strongest albums and notes that after two decades of their career, the band continues to evolve. “Shame”, “Sleeping With The Enemy”, and “Father” were particularly praised. (Kerrang!)

Wall of Sound — 7/10. The reviewer positively evaluates Brink’s vocals, the atmosphere, and the band’s ability to combine heaviness with melody, but views some tracks as less convincing. (Wall Of Sound)

Everblack particularly highlights the theatricality, Brink’s vocal range, and the personal nature of the material, considering “Witch” a logical continuation of the band’s evolution. (Everblack Media)

At the same time, the reaction is not exclusively positive. Boolin Tunes gave the album a 4/10, criticizing the modern production for being sterile and considering three slower tracks — “Into The Dark”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, and “Father” — too similar to each other. The reviewer also gave a negative assessment to both covers. (Boolin Tunes)

Thus, the main debate surrounding “Witch” is not about whether In This Moment knows how to create signature music — almost no one denies that —, but whether the album is sufficiently diverse and whether the band relies too heavily on familiar techniques.

What Stood Out the Most

• Maria Brink’s charismatic and highly versatile vocals;
• the contrast between aggressive and atmospheric tracks;
• gothic/industrial atmosphere;
• “Shame” and “Crawl” as heavy highlights;
• “Sleeping With The Enemy” as one of the catchiest tracks;
• the emotional “Father”;
• successful vocal collaborations with Dayseeker;
• the boldness to experiment with an atmospheric sound.

What Might Not Appeal to Everyone

• some slower tracks seem too similar;
• modern production may sound sterile to a portion of listeners;
• “Another Brick In The Wall” is a risky cover that will inevitably be compared to the original;
• “Heretic” might feel too chaotic due to Kim Dracula’s feature;
• the album doesn’t radically change In This Moment’s formula as much as its concept might suggest.

Overall Conclusion

“Witch” is an album about turning weakness into strength, but at the same time about accepting one’s own contradictions. In This Moment does not abandon what made them famous: theatricality, gothic aesthetics, industrial metal, heavy riffs, and Maria Brink’s extravagant vocal style.

Instead, the band relies on contrast: an aggressive “Crawl” can be followed by an almost ethereal “Into The Dark”, a chaotic “Heretic” by an emotional “Father”, and after the heavy portion, the album concludes with an almost bare interpretation of Nine Inch Nails.

That is why “Witch” is best experienced not simply as another metal album from In This Moment, but as a dark theatrical play where each track performs its own role.

Who might like it: Fans of In This Moment, Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills, Evanescence, Spiritbox, The Pretty Reckless, Bad Omens, and modern gothic/industrial/alternative metal. The album is especially worth listening to for those who appreciate not only heaviness, but also atmosphere, theatricality, melodramatic vocals, and the combination of metal with dark-pop and industrial sound.