InMe have been around since 2003, yet prolifically InMe’s new album The Pride is their fifth studio release. The Pride is actually one of those new brand of albums that is created off the back of the Pledge Music initiative. For those unaware of Pledge Music basically is a way for fans to have greater involvement, through a financial pledge, in what their favourite artists produce. What bands get is a definite fund of money and support that they then repay the fans with interest. In terms of those InMe supporters through the Pledge Music initiative as frontman Dave McPherson originally stated the benefits were:-

“We have around 70 incentives including 'The Pride' album, 'Elysium: Overgrown Eden Live' DVD, personalised songs, house party gigs, a massive merch range, handwritten lyric sheets & loads more.”

In addition to the bonus content for fans, once the band reached their target figure, there was a generous donation to Alzheimer’s Society as a tribute to band members’ grandfathers who had sadly passed away. However, with the Pledge Music account now closed, InMe’s The Pride is now well and truly aimed at all those who for whatever reason weren’t involved in the Pledge Music launch.

Reverie Shores opens The Pride with a guitar blitz that might have seemed suitable on a late 1980s Joe Satriani, whilst the rest of the track chugs away with a pretty decent vocal performance from McPherson that opens out into lighter musical moments, although after a bit the charge, resist and chug along nature of the track just becomes tiresome, before a nifty little piece of guitar shredding tries to elevate the album, instead it just all equates to something that feels somewhat dated. That late 80s early 90s sound is something that equally applies to Silver Womb, with its open expanses of guitar, which are not reflective of the strong vocal chorus.

Moonlit Seabed is more rock pop by nature and seems to prefer to intersperse rock moments, with a break out into choral vocal moments, before throwing in a sing along chorus, which could be an indie band attempting to sound a little heavier. However, what throws the track into complete confusion is an electro fusion of rapid beats that for all it fits with the heavier elements, does not really support the movement back into the softer vocal moments.

Escape to Mysteriopa ditches everything that has happened before, allowing the guitar to attempt some prog rock style notation to move the track along, it comes across as almost a breather of a track. Legacy has an interesting soft spacious build, that eventually gives way to rockier sounds, before launching into a climatic chorus. Legacy opens out into something most space prog rock fans would be proud of as the celebratory vocals rapidly run the track onto its final conclusion.

Having accepted that the premise behind the creation of The Pride is a worthy one, that support for any charity from a band should be welcomed, however, the same criticisms applied to This is Freedom can be leveled at InMe. The Pride is a well produced album, with some great moments, but the problem is that it just doesn’t hammer home a message and floats around as an unsatisfactory rock / metal album that hints at greater things. InMe fans are going to love this album, readers of Kerrang (who have rated The Pride 4/5) are probably going to be talking about this album for the rest of the year – whilst we here at Grumpyrocker are just going to be grumpily complaining about what passes as rock / metal music these days.

Reviewed by Jimbo Walsh.

InMe's fifth studio album The Pride is out now from Amazon. InMe have also started a 35 date UK tour and can be found at the following venues:-

FEBRUARY:

Wed 22nd – SHEERNESS, The Ivy

Thu 23rd – BRIGHTON, Concord 2

Fri 24th – WEYMOUTH, Ocean Rooms

Sat 25th – HIGH WYCOMBE, WAMA

Sun 26th – PLYMOUTH, White Rabbit

Mon 27th – EXETER, Cavern

Tue 28th – SWANSEA, Sin City

Wed 29th – BRISTOL, Fleece

MARCH:

Thu 1st – SOUTHAMPTON, Talking Heads

Fri 2nd – MILTON KEYNES, Crauford Arms

Sat 3rd – RUSHDEN, The Attic

Mon 5th – CAMBRIDGE, Junction

Tue 6th – LEICESTER, Firebug

Wed 7th – NORWICH, Waterfront

Thu 8th – SHEFFIELD, Corporation

Fri 9th – LIVERPOOL, The Masque

Sat 10th – YORK, Fibbers

Sun 11th – MIDDLESBROUGH, The Crown

Tue 13th – NEWCASTLE, Academy 2

Wed 14th – ABERDEEN, Tunnels

Thu 15th – DUNDEE, Dexter's

Fri 16th – GLASGOW, Cathouse

Sat 17th – BELFAST, Spring & Airbrake

Sun 18th – DUBLIN, Whelans

Tue 20th – LIMERICK, Dolans

Wed 21st – CORK, Cyprus Avenue

Thu 22nd – LEEDS, The Well

Fri 23rd – HULL, The Lamp

Sat 24th – MANCHESTER, Moho Live

Mon 26th – STOKE, Sugarmill

Tue 27th – NOTTINGHAM, Rock City

Wed 28th – BIRMINGHAM, HMV Institute

Thu 29th – GLOUCESTER, Guildhall

Fri 30th – CARDIFF, Clwb Ifor Bach

Sat 31st – LONDON, Islington Academy