Tattooed metal queen Maria Brink has spent the past few years walking the line between roaring frontwoman and sex symbol.
It’s a balancing act some metal purists might not embrace. But In This Moment’s singer’s eye-popping picture in the latest issue of Playboy magazine is a bold statement that leaves no doubt how she feels about exploring her more sultry side.
“I was a little nervous,” she said last week from Madison, Wis. “The magazine is great. If a woman is comfortable getting nude, more power to her. I thought they would try and get me naked, but it wasn’t like that at all. They knew I wasn’t going topless. It was all really professional.”
Although she remained clothed, the photo is revealing, featuring the doe-eyed blonde in a low-cut dress that leaves little to the imagination.
“I was saying ‘make sure nothing is popping out,’ ” she said, then laughed. “I was afraid too much would be showing. But it ended up being a shot I was happy with.”
To dismiss her sexy poses as a gimmick would be a grave mistake. She and her Southern California-based band, which headlines Great Scott tonight, are touring in support of their stunning sophomore effort, “The Dream.” The album, the follow-up to 2007’s “Beautiful Tragedy,” features a driving blend of melodic metal that showcases Brink’s passionate vocals and heartfelt lyrics.
One of the disc’s most haunting moments is “Into the Light,” a piano ballad inspired by the tragic death of a 15-year-old admirer.
“I got an e-mail from this mom who had a 15-year-old son with a heart problem,” she said. “He was a huge fan of ours. He got to come out and meet us. She felt like we gave him some inspiration in the end. When he passed away, they were listening to (our song) ‘He Said Eternity.’ I was hysterical, crying and wrote (‘Into the Light’). I was crying when I wrote that song.”
The album, fueled by the hook-laden single “Forever,” made its debut at No. 80 on the Billboard charts and has landed her on metal magazine covers. She’s also in a scorching calendar that features Century Media female artists.
While she enjoys vamping it up in the glossies, the downside to her sex appeal includes creepy e-mails and chauvinist comments.
“There’s always a random heckler saying, ‘Show me your (breasts),’ ” she said. “I’ve gotten psychotic, insane e-mails. But that just goes with being in the public eye. I’ve learned how to deal with the ignorance.”
In This Moment, with Breathe and Dragged Under, at Great Scott, Allston, Monday night. Tickets: $12; 866-468-7619.
