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October 8, 2008 |
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01. Elusive
02. Bleed My Name
03. Diligence
04. Darkness Of Words
05. Worthless
06. Chaos Within
07. Interlude Of Decay
08. Age Of Reason
09. Solace
10. Reflection
11. Passion In Hate
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The scarred desert wastelands of Arizona are fast becoming the new home of truly vital and relevant US Metal, and the wicked birth of AUTUMN'S END may just be the penultimate American counter-response to the wave of brilliance flowing out of Sweden in the form of OPETH and others. Diverse, effective, driving, energized, dominating and enthralling, AUTUMN'S END embody the greatest aspects of American Metal and have spliced them in a collage of succinct brutality, thick and meaty rhythms, melodic tendencies and resonant acoustic beauty, resulting in a sound that is both instantly distinct and uncompromisingly compelling.
As far as debut albums go, rarely have I heard a band come out of the gates with such a firm grasp on their sound and direction, presenting themselves as though they were 10 albums into a stellar career, but AUTUMN'S END most certainly bears that distinction. The pieces come already in place with a well-laid, steady foundation that will without doubt result in a most exultant, hard earned and well deserved position at the top of the American Metal heap. It doesn't take amazing powers of deduction or supernatural inner sight to recognize the raw potential here: two ears, a sense of rhythm and a love for brutality and melody is all it takes to realize that AUTUMN'S END are on a fast track to become the stuff of legend, and in record time. Brilliance is weaving its tangled web behind the mind of lead guitarist/vocalist Chris Cannella, and with the invaluable aid of bassist El, drummer Joey Kamka and rhythm guitarist Anthony DeJesus, we stand ready to reap the plentiful benefits.
Nestled throughout the album are extremely well-written and well-delivered songs comprised of both abrasive, boot-to-the-head Hardcore-tinged Death Metal and haunting, sincere emotive gestures of acoustic melody and harmony. A prime example of AUTUMN'S END's uncanny ability to flow fluidly from one spectrum to the other can be found in the songs "Diligence" and "Chaos Within", woven around moving vocal harmonies and chilling acoustic guitar passages and laced with frequent eruptions of hammerhead guitars, drilling drum blasts and tough as nails vocal grit, delivering a chaotic but precise balance of beauty and beast. This balance also flows evenly throughout the lyrics, written in a way that conveys the initial emotion translated by the music, delivering well-rounded and thought provoking material of the sincerest kind.
feet there are the telltale signs of that underground essence, primarily in the production, but even with all that in mind you stand to be blown away by the superlative Metal on display and the evident potential of things yet to come. Look for the next sign of that potential in their upcoming sophomore release "Act Of Attrition", coming out this summer through Hammermill Records. In the meantime, with this self-titled debut, you will get your first lethal dose of the chilling, harshly majestic coldness of winter that comes with the wind of AUTUMN'S END.
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