Artist: Autumn
Title: Cold Comfort
Genre: Heavy Rock
Release Date: 4th November 2011
Label: Metal Blade
Album Review
Dutch maestro's AUTUMN offer their fifth full length album with 'Cold Comfort' - a stunning blend of incisive lyrics, beautiful crafted vocals and delicate arrangements that really make the most of the comparisons between the ethereal vocals of Marjan Welman and the harsh cutting metal accompaniment.
'The Scarecrow' starts in awesome style followed by the harder, harsher album namer 'Cold comfort'. 'Black stars in a blue sky' is edgier, melodic and compelling, with awesome singable chorus whilst 'Retrospect' with it's Electronica over metal is another track that make you sit up and take notice. The mix is excellent, the lyrics in English well executed and thought provoking, whilst the music itself is a strange blend of metal, pop and something indiscernible, whatever you'd care to call it it's catchy and sits in your consciousness long after the tracks themselves fall silent. 'Alloy' a simply beautiful track, only serves to prove their prowess as all elaborate backing is stripped away to reveal a stunning simplicity whilst ' End of sorrow' takes us back to a driving metal start which suddenly falls quiet to reveal more beautiful vocal work- what a lovely piece of work.
'Naeon' seems to be the odd one out on this album being almost pure Electronica and sounding like an early 80's offering when compared to the sophistication of the rest. For all that it really works as a track and is pretty evocative. 'Truth be told' offers simple piano lines coupled with delicately applied metal guitars and competent though it is the least compelling of all the tracks on the album whilst 'The Venamoured' finishes in sinister style, all looming restrained guitar work and harmonic vocals. It's a solid album, with a good mix, well thought out arrangements and nothing to dislike whatsoever, and has certainly stirred me enough to check out their previous work more closely.
Tracklist
01 The Scarecrow - 5.15
02 Cold Comfort - 5.36
03 Black Stars In A Blue Sky - 4.43
04 Retrospect - 5.00
05 Alloy - 7.18
06 End Of Sorrow - 4.35
07 Naeon - 4.46
08 Truth Be Told (Exhale) - 5.56
09 The Venamoured - 6.29
Bonus tracks Digi-pack Europe
10 Changes For The Bitter - 4.11
11 The Mute (Inhale) - 4.35
Additional bonus tracks (Japan)
12 The Feigning - 4.37
13 Wishing Well - 6.23
Line-up
Marjan Welman – vocals
Jerome Vrielink – bass
Jan Munnik – keyboards
Jan Grijpstra – drums
Mats van der Valk – guitar, grunts & backing vocals
Jens van der Valk – guitar & backing vocals
Website
http://www.autumn-band.com / http://www.myspace.com/autumnband
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras:-
Total: 8 / 10
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