Black Widow (In This Moment album)

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."[1] It was reported on February 5 that the band had signed with Atlantic Records.[2] 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."[3]

The genre of the album has been described primarily as gothic metal,[4] industrial metal,[5] alternative metal,[6] and electronic metal,[6] with elements of metalcore.[4]

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."[7]

The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes on October 14, 2014, while the second single, "Big Bad Wolf", was released on October 21. Leaving little time in between, "Bloody Creature Poster Girl" was released as the next promotional single on October 27, followed by the final pre-release single, "Sex Metal Barbie", on November 4.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	[15]

Stephen Hill of Louder Sound gave Black Widow three-and-a-half out of five stars, saying that it "is a big step in the right direction" and goes on to describe it as "slicker and poppier" than In This Moment's previous albums.[16] Arielle J of KillYourStereo cited Black Widow is "a good example of how a band should evolve", praising Maria Brink's vocals as "completely dynamic".[17]

Following the album's success, In This Moment was nominated for Breakthrough Band of the Year at the 2015 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, alongside Halestorm, Bury Tomorrow, and the Amity Affliction, but lost out to Babymetal.

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.[18] By June 2015, the album had sold 120,000 copies.[19]

On June 29, 2022, the singles "Sick Like Me" and "Big Bad Wolf" were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), moving 500,000 copies in the United States.[20]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Black Widow.[24]

• Kevin Churko – production, recording, mixing, mastering
• Kane Churko – additional engineering, programming, editing
• Shawn McGhee – additional engineering, editing
• Nick Helbling – additional programming, editing
• Marcel Szczypka – additional programming, editing
• Kelly Churko – noise
• Khloe Churko – studio management and assistance
• Michael Spadoni – piano on "The Fighter"
• Brent Smith – guest vocals on "Sexual Hallucination"
• Sean Mosher-Smith – art direction, design, photo illustration
• Robert Kley – cover image, booklet photos
• Jeremy Saffer – album cover image editing, back cover
• Tom Hane – back booklet photo