In This Moment – Sick Like Me: A Video Breakdown
In This Moment is a band that seems to get a lot of hate from all different directions. And by all directions I mostly mean sweatpants-wearing, Dorito-stained metal bloggers. Is it really because of the music or is it something else?
Personally, I don’t have a problem with In This Moment. Some of their songs from their earlier such as “Prayers” and “Forever” are decent. They’re a radio metal band and that’s perfectly fine. Simple and heavy with just enough catchy choruses to have the songs lodged into your brain like a bullet or a really hard-thrown grape. Heavy enough to mosh to, but catchy enough to sing along to. It’s fine. Not great, but fine.
So where does this hate come from? Some is directed towards the simplistic music. That’s okay, not everyone can be Yngwie Townsend Satriani. Really, though, that’s not enough to actively hate a band with such clever labels as “tampon metal” or other bouts of misogyny. Most of the criticism, comes down to singer, Maria Brink. Rarely is it ever about her vocals. Like many front-people, Brink is the focal point of the band, conducting solo photo shoots and interviews. I mean, it’s not like she’s directing their music videos and pushing her band mates to the background, right?
0:09: Oh, wait. She is directing their music video.
0:13: Hey, Maria likes putting Bugles on her fingers. She’s just like us!
0:17: Ok, this video is 17 seconds long and I think we’ve already had 5 wardrobe changes.
0:24: She just licked one of the Bugles! She’s going to need a Perrier.
0:35: This video already has more choppy cut-scenes than the Bourne movies.
0:46: Hi other band members! Nice to see you for 2 seconds!
0:48: Bye band members! See you later!
0:54: Uh oh. Maria’s got the jimmy shakes. Probably from licking all those salty Bugles.
1:01: This outfit reminds me of Batman Forever when Jim Carey goes to Arkham and pretends to be Batman with nothing more than some pissy bedsheets. Except, y’know, less pissy.
1:04: I can this the sexy “Guinness Book Of World Records for Having The World’s Longest Fingernails” look.
1:05: This choreography is far more tolerable than synchronized bouncing coughaversionscrowncough
1:11: “Ugggh I hate my guitar so much! Nyaaah!”
1:17: Ewww it’s a spiderlady! Squish it before it lays eggs in your head!
1:23: Doo-doo dreadlocks went out like 10 years ago dude. Either let it go or join Korn.
1:35: Those dancers look like leftovers from Metallica‘s goofy “Until It Sleeps” video.
1:43: I can’t tell if that bath dyed her black or she’s just incredibly pruney from being in too long.
1:50: BYAH!
2:00: I actually thing the fog is getting more video time than that drummer
2:06: It’s hard to be sexy when your vital fluids are about to be drained by the spider that spun that gargantuan web.
2:12: What’s with all the shaking? Was this filmed on a fault line? Is Honey Boo Boo’s mom playing hop-scotch outside?
2:26: Mmmmmmm Bugelicious!
2:36: I get it! There’s plague doctors because she’s sick. She probably has scurvy. Gotta lay of the salty snack treats and get your vitamin C, Maria!
2:49: The bath isn’t working. She should try a shower. Or perhaps a milk bath like the Kidney Thieves.
3:10: Oh, man. Doo-doolocks has braided chin hair. I hope they resurrect Ozzfest just so he can be the new mascot.
3:21: I just noticed the backup dancers’ body suits look like skulls. That’s…actually pretty cool.
3:36: More skulls. When does ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin show up?
3:40: All Doo-doolocks, all the time.
3:43: Freddy Bugle-r!
4:00: I think your stomach makes the same sound effect when you eat at Arby’s.
4:24: A little disappointed that the bandana the bassist is using doesn’t also have a skull on it. Missed opportunity, dude.
4:32: We’ve now his peak Doo-doolocks.
4:44: I AM THE NIGHT!
4:56: They did the Monster Mash! It was a graveyard smash!
Those five minutes just flew by, didn’t they? That video managed to have everything and nothing happen at the same time. Broadway plays have fewer costume changes than that video. And what was going on with that shaky camera? Did they grease up they equipment? Was it used to film “Play Fisty For Me”? Either way, it’s pretty obvious in this video that Maria is the main focus of the band. It certainly doesn’t hurt when you co-direct said video. And that’s perfectly fine. As for the song, it is what it is. And what it is is not very good, but if you like heavy doses of Maria and a have penchant for Bugles, you should love the video.
