The biggest thing that used to be great about In This Moment was its mix of aggression and melody. But on its fourth full-length release, Blood, that element of its music has all but vanished.

On Blood, there’s nary a metallic edge present and I don’t think it’s even metalcore anymore, really. Their psuedo Madonna-sampled, buzzed, synchronized, electronic drums; beeps, squeals, stutters, samples, scratches; plodding synth intros and horrendous techno dance beats is excruciatingly dreadful to listen to.

Maria Brink’s ability to go from a melodic croon to a hardcore scream is what set her and ITM apart in the modern metal world. But there’s too much over-enunciation with Ms. Brink’s voice, similar to the annoying pop divas Cristina Agulera, Beyonce and Ke$ha. She still can scream and displays her aggression like we have come to know and love, but for some reason she just comes off sounding more like an angry Cher instead of a feisty metal chick.

A Star-Crossed Wasteland maybe hinted at a change in direction with some of its sampled buzz sounds. But on Blood, methinks the band’s sound has derailed.

I for one just don’t mix my metal with electronica. Of course, if you’re a fan of these kinds of elements in your metal, I can only assume that you might think Blood isn’t that bad.