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Interviews : “It felt almost like we were at home” – An interview with Chris Howarth (In This Moment)

By on August 28, 2017

In This Moment – Chris Howorth

Los Angeles outfit In This Moment are on the cusp of big things. Having just released the album Ritual, it’s a great time to have a chat to one of the bands two mainstays, guitarist Chris Howorth.

The bands highly visual and multidimensional take on metal has inspired a legion of fans and it was great to hear that Australia is indeed dear to the band.

Ritual is the brand-new studio offering from In This Moment, it’s an album that feels as though it is imbued with a sense of ritual and the religious, this was confirmed by Howorth.

“It’s kind of got a religious theme running through it, kind of spiritual, you know, “What do you believe?” kind of good versus evil. It’s not like (we are) reinventing the wheel but that’s kind of the general theme running through the album, a spiritual dark, kind of ritualistic vibe. 

It could be said that In This Moment’s most recognisable face, front-woman Maria Brink, is the yang to Howorth’s Yin.

Six studio albums into a career that has seen an overhaul of all other personnel since the debut Beautiful Tragedy (‘07), just what is it that has bound the two together?

“Well Maria and I are the mainstays because we pretty much started this thing together and we’re the only ones standing when other people quit. We believed in ourselves and kept pushing and that’s still what we do today and it’s definitely like a brother sister relationship. We’ve known each other for over 12 years and we have funny dynamic. In a lot of way’s, she’s the only person that can say certain things to me and I’m the only person that can say certain things to her and we also have a mutual respect for each other. Creatively we’re able to do a lot of different things together and understand what each other’s is trying to achieve and we respect each other. There’s not a lot of fighting anymore. There used to be a lot more fighting in the beginning but we get along pretty good now.”

Beautiful Tragedy was released a veritable eon ago in musical chronology. Growth and exploration of new musical pathways have been constant since, but in Howorths own words how has the band evolved?

“I feel like the band- in 2007 we really didn’t have an identity, we kind of wrote a few songs, we weren’t even really sure what we were doing. And we got some attention based on those songs and got a record deal and put out an album and I think over the last 10 years we’ve really kind of figured out who we are and have grown. Through a lot of different changes in the band and with members leaving in 2011, the original members and it just being Maria and I. It allowed us to open up our… to not to be afraid anymore I guess and open up our minds and kind of take the next step towards what we are now.”

The personnel changes didn’t just stop with band members, former Rob Zombie and current Ozzy bassist Rob ‘Blasko’ Nicholson was In This Moments manager for many years, in fact I had framed my question with the intent to glean some perspective from Howorth about the working relationship between the two parties however this is a partnership that has ran its course years ago.

“Blasko was our manager from the beginning but he also dropped us at the same time in 2011 when our original band members quit. We are now managed by In de Goot (Entertainment) which was a huge factor also in our evolution as a band. They have helped us go from just common opening band to a headliner and helped us take everything to the next level. So, we’re very fortunate and happy to be with In de Goot management and they’ve really helped guide us through this crazy, ever-changing musical landscape.

Australia. I can recall only a single response in well over a hundred interviews where an internationally based artist or musician had anything less than kind and positive words to share about our fair land.

It turns out that Soundwave (’12) was a pivotal moment in the evolution of In This Moment through the introduction of new members and what could be described as a new chapter or volume in the bands career.

“We played Soundwave, gosh, it must have been 2012. That was when we first- we were about halfway through the recording of the album Blood and we had just gotten Randy and Tom in the band, Tom was our drummer at the time. It was like a learning experience with those two guys going over there, which is something most people didn’t know but it was also our first time ever playing over there and it was incredible. It felt like almost like we were at home, a similar feeling to playing in the States but the fans were just amazing and we actually had fans over there and there were big shows. And I’ll tell you right now, we talk about coming back to Australia all the time. We’re really, really trying to make an effort to get there on this album cycle because we had such a great experience doing Soundwave. We can’t wait to get back, we’re really excited to get to Australia on this album.

There you have it!

Do check out Ritual and the bands highly engaging videos that accompany select cuts from the album.

‘Ritual’ out now via Roadrunner Records.

About

Andrew is a musician who has spent many years performing on the stages of the pubs and clubs of Queensland. A devotee of the broad church that is rock, punk, funk, jazz and of course all genres of metal... he now shares his enthusiasm via a burgeoning pursuit of music journalism. Follow him on twitter @andymckaysmith