Customer Reviews

The Dream (The Ultra Violet Edition)

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I'm only going to review the additional stuff that you get on the Ultra Violet Edition over the original "The Dream" If you want to see a review of "The Dream" you can check it out as I've already reviewed it. Ultra Violet adds a bonus disk with 5 additional tracks, 3 of which are brand new (well sort of, 'Call Me' has been purchasable for sometime now) Call Me, Sailing Away, & Dying Star. Sailing Away and Dying star are more 'ballads' but are incredible in that they really show how versatile her voice can be. Also you get videos of a few acoustic versions of their songs from "The Dream" along with a Metal Couture concert video. The videos alone I think are worth the repurchase they're quite lengthy (which is a good thing I think) and really show how she sounds without being 'enhanced' by the studio. It also shows that perhaps she doesn't sound quite like the CD will make you believe, however her voice still is entrancing kind of like how a fallen angel would sound if I was ever to hear one sing. All and all its worth the purchase even if you have "The Dream" heck I have both editions of "The Dream" and got the MP3's of Call Me, Sailing Away & Dying star.

It's great to finally have the b-sides Sailing Away and A Dying Star on the bonus CD. These two songs are excellent and showcases the bands diverse styles plus Maria's beautiful vocals. This also contains the radio edit of Forever and a instrumental version of Call Me, which is their brand new single. The enhanced part contains the Forever video and 2 full acoustic performances which are pretty cool too. However, I wish they had released those on dvd instead of a video file. The bonus cd is attatched to the slipcase which houses the original 'The Dream' cd. Overall, if you liked 'The Dream', you'll love this reissue.

I'll be the first to admit I did not enjoy "Beautiful Tragedy." The music was promising, the lead singer's (Maria Brink's) voice was promising, but then she screamed throughout the entire CD. I prefer melodic singing over screaming, so I listened to the CD only once before putting it away. Hence when I saw "The Dream," I refrained from buying it until reading the reviews at Amazon complaining that there's no screaming--I then bought it and have found it much more enjoyable and accessible than its predecessor.

I'm not saying that "Beautiful Tragedy" was a horrible album, just that it appeals to a type of listener different from one who'd prefer "The Dream." Like the complaints went, there's little screaming to be found on this CD aside from in "The Great Divide" (the only song on the CD which I always skip); Maria uses her voice to sing this time, and while some people prefer screaming, I prefer singing. One is not better or worse than the other, they're just different styles. I find nothing wrong in In This Moment putting out a more mainstream CD; some might call it selling out, but one can't say for sure what it means. Perhaps their next effort will return to the screaming, perhaps they'll stay with this style or try something new yet again. All I can say is I prefer this style myself.

Maria's voice has an edge but she can really sing, especially when she yells--not screams, but yells. The best I can describe her on this CD with my limited listening experience is as a harsher, edgier Pat Benatar for the 21st century. She can alternate easily between belting things out at the top of her lungs and singing in little more than a murmur. Most of the songs on this CD could easily appeal to listeners of more mainstream hard rock music or melodic metal. Standout tracks are "Forever," "All For You," "Lost At Sea," "Into The Light," and "You Always Believed." Most of the music is faster and more upbeat though there's the occasional slower moment; "Into The Light" is the main such song ("The doctor's saying hold on tight/As we say our last goodbyes/And this is a moment that changes our whole lives"), much quieter and more restrained than its fellows, and brings me to tears every time I listen to it. Despite a supposed "Alice In Wonderland" theme (with accompanying jacket artwork depicting the band members as characters from the story), the lyrics don't really hint at any such thing and the songs could relate to everyday situations that most of us have been through; "Forever" being a song apparently pining for a missing love ("It's been three weeks/Your voice is all I have to hold/I lie here alone/Awaiting for my love's return"), "You Always Believed" a musical thank you for the support of a friend ("And you held me through it all/And you never let me fall/And you let me fly away/And you always believed in me"--who wouldn't want someone like that?), etc. In short, the type of stuff you could easily hear on the radio--and as I already said, that's not a bad thing, just what some of us prefer to hear.

I then purchased the "Ultra Violet" re-release of this CD which is a two-CD set, pretty much the original CD plus a cardboard slipcase for the second CD. (There is supposed video content on the CD which I have not perused.) The music on this bonus CD is worth paying extra--there's a pretty faithful cover of Blondie's "Call Me," and two new songs, "Sailing Away" and "A Dying Star"--though I have a couple of complaints. Firstly, I'd have preferred a special two-CD case as opposed to the cardboard slipcase which forces a user to grasp the CD surface with their fingers and to pull it from the case which after time results in surface scratching; I wish CD manufacturers would realize that some of us prefer standard plastic jewel cases for this very reason. Secondly, and more importantly, the track listing seems incorrect; the songs listed on the CD are "Call Me," "Sailing Away," "A Dying Star," "Call Me Instrumental," and "Forever Instrumental," yet the songs I heard were "Call Me," "Sailing Away," "A Dying Star," what seems to be a radio edit of "Forever" (with vocals, just slightly shorter than the original CD version), and an instrumental version of "Call Me." I was looking forward to the instrumental version of "Forever," so to receive instead a shortened version of the vocal song was a disappointment; I could just listen to the longer, original song on the first CD. I'm not sure why this mistake occurred nor if it's the same on all CDs but I thought I'd point it out. "Sailing Away" and "My Dying Star" are decent songs in the style of the main CD, and Maria does a great job covering Blondie, so it's not a total loss.

I personally hope that In This Moment decides to stick with the style of "The Dream" and not return to the screaming of "Beautiful Tragedy," but that's just me; I'm pretty sure fans of "Beautiful Tragedy" are hoping for the opposite. Whatever In This Moment ends up doing, it's safe to say they're talented, and Maria can sing (when she wants to); so whether she chooses to sing or to scream, one group of listeners is going to end up satisfied. All I can do in this particular moment is recommend this particular CD. Different strokes for different folks.

The acoustic performances are well done but like mentioned before, I wish they were on DVD not a video file. And one star to Amazon. Bought the cd on Saturday, went on sale Monday for $4 cheaper and they were unable to refund me the diffence. Love the cd, not a big fan of Amazon's customer service.

I did not care for there daybeu release,and was waiting until they found
a direction. "The Dream" cd was more to my liking,and with two versions
of the same cd.I was hoping for a mellow version and aggressive vision.
I ordered the ultra violet edition,and can't hear any difference between
the two releases.I still think this is a great release,and a good addition
to my collection. I was told to check out "A Star-Crossed Wasteland" too.

The second album from in this moment is an amazing one. She focuses more on her singing voice rather than screaming and it very well pays off. Beautiful album, beautiful singer, just saw them yesterday on tour and it was amazing.

This album sits between two rather abrasive albums - Beautiful Tragedy and A Star-Crossed Wasteland. All the albums are awesome in their own way. This one stands out in how Maria sings more than she has on any album. Don't get me wrong, there is still moments of abrasion that aren't to be missed (The Great Divide and Violet Skies come to mind), however, this is MUCH more melodic and calm than their other works. Altogether, it makes for an excellent album, and one of my favorites in my collection.

I will voice my issues with this album, to get them out of the way before the good things. My first is: too warm; the first album was heavy, moody, and emotional. It was exactly what I expected. This was like the frilly, feminine twin sister. Second, a little more screaming would have been welcome, though it wouldn't have fit with the album's feel. My final thing is that there is something that feels ... different about the guitars and rhythms in this album; somehow they seem a lot different from the first. Truth be told, I felt like this was nearly a different band. But overall this was worth the purchase. But now on to the high points. First, the lyrics are still intelegent and friendly. The second thing is that the songs maintain a certain feel throughout an album, as they did on the first one. Loud, yet very warm. Her talent as an artist shines nearly as much as it did on the first album. This is a great album for the pop-oriented rocker, great for driving home from school with no homework to do. Maria Brink puts all her energy into her music. It is a pleasant alternative for more intense music, especially on a hot summer day.
I am looking forward to In This Moment's third album, The Star Crossed Wasteland, scheduled for midsummer at some point. I have heard it is a mix of new and old. I look forward to it.
Note to all music producers:
Bands have a right to their style and their power. Commercializing them is a terrible thing if you change their sound too much.

great cd, nice bonus material, only 2 minor problems:
the extra songs come on a seperate cd, i suppose they have to, but kinda sucks to switch cd's to listen to 5 songs
also the 'instrumental forever' is just a shorter version of the regular one! not that i would wanna take her voice out of any song, but it IS an instrumental, and why would they make the best song shorter!
otherwise, great cd's, 5 star!

this album is awesome. from the start it hits you with great melodies and vocals and then kicks in with brutal guitar chords and its just a great album from start to finish. the bonus cd/dvd is amazing. "Call Me" is a cover of Blondie's smash it, just updated and is probably the best cover EVER! the 2 new songs "Dying Star" and "Sailing Away" are both awesome tracks with great melody and guitar riffs. The DVD is from NYC on March 5th 2009 and I was a part of that DVD and I must thank ITM for coming down for 1 night from their busy tour to do a special acoustic set. The show is amazing, just like the band is and I highly recommend everyone pick this CD up. Even if you're not a fan, just take a listen to the CD and I guarantee you will fall in love with the band and the CD..

A MUST HAVE for any METAL enthusiast!

5 out of 5 for me

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