The whole Netherlands/Austrian area is a hotbed of Goth metal, sticking to the simple formula of hot operatic chick A + lush production + synths +competent faceless musicians + a mix of peppy bouncy songs and slower somber ballads = band X, that has produced bands like After Forever, Epica, Edenbridge, Visions of Atlantis, Elis and Autumn.
Surprisingly comprised of a few ex-members of heavier Dutch acts like Massive Assault, Cantara, Seizure, God Dethroned and Absorbed, Autumn is your typical, sugary, female fronted Goth metal affair, nothing more nothing less. Vocalist Nienke de Jong is your typical sloe eyed, cleavage baring front woman with a decent semi operatic voice while her band mates deliver predictable if competent riffs that are the MSG of Goth metal; enjoyable enough but not really filling.
The 11 songs are exactly what you’d expect from any similar band riding on the Lacuna Coil bandwagon; a few wispy ballads (“Angel of Desire”, “Communication on Opium”, “Forget To Remember (Sunday Mornings)”) litter the mid paced up tempo numbers like opener “Satellites”, Hammond flocked duo of “Closest Friends Conspire” and “Shadowmancer”, energetic “My New Time”, catchy “Twisted and Turned” and sultry closer “Whats Done is Done”. It’s all utterly by the numbers and bereft of any outstanding qualities to make Autumn stand out from their peers, but its well done enough for fans of the genre to check it out.
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Wow, what a condescending, stereotyping, sexist, but above all generic sourpuss review.
Two thirds of this supposed review of the album are wasted on cliche, derogatory, and opinionated descriptions of the genre in general without actual describing the album itself. The remaining one third is a missed opportunity for the author to explain how he came to his opinions of each of the songs and what he liked/didn’t like about them.
This “review” is exactly what you’d expect from any similar reviewer riding on the “let’s slag off European cookie cutter goth metal bands” bandwagon. A few one-word descriptions litter this empty review. It’s all utterly by the numbers and bereft of any journalistic qualities to make the author stand out from his peers, but it’s well done enough for readers to make an ill-informed decision to not check out this album.
on Jun 25th, 2018 at 09:35Not seeing the sexism here just the calling of a spade a spade. Some of these groups are interchangeable and it always seems like it’s a boob bustin’ corset look happening with these bands. I never see someone dressed down or even anyone of the homelier look fronting these bands. I’m highly not a sexist, racist, etc. but I checked the music out to see if the drapes match the curtains and it’s very by numbers. I’m not totally anti-the style either, I was way into a local band called Tapping the Vein that were doing this stuff with a bit of a gothier doom/industrial flow happening, but this feels about par for the course and you could play me another couple of the big bands doing this and I probably couldn’t tell them apart.
on Jul 5th, 2018 at 20:39