August 2006 Featured Band: Autumn
Hailing from the same country as The Gathering, Within Temptation, Epica and After Forever, Holland's Autumn contributes new elements to the seemingly tiresome gothic scene. Rather than having a sweet, soft, soprano front the band, lead singer Nienke DeJong uses her deep, powerful, smokey voice to add a bluesy vibe to the band. Rather than writing lyrics dealing with clichéd themes such as death and love, Autumn's lyrics are mostly built around witchcraft, wiccanism, and nature. Although the debut, 'When Lust Evokes the Curse' and the most recent album, 'Summer's End' deal with these issues, it is very apparent that both albums are very different.
'When Lust Evokes the Curse' is categorized as a gothic/doom album telling a story of a witch. Its dark and mystic atmosphere, raw production, and Nienke's brooding voice and Meidert Sterk's growl singing over it will not be a hit with fans new to the band, but older fans will delight in the album's rich texture.
'Summer's End' is much different than in it's predecessor, so much that it's not even the same genre of music. The witchcraft theme remains, but the growls are reduced, the album has better production, the drummer has improved, the band is experimenting with different riffs, and the album is more commercial. The highlight of is the closing track, "Solar Wake" — a melancholic ballad in which Nienke gives some of her best vocal power.
Download
- Mirrors Magic Sights
- Lifeline
- The Witch in Me
- Gospels in Dusk (The Witch in Me, Part III)
- When Lust Evokes the Curse
- Silent Madness
- Floating Towards Distress
- Whispering Secrets
- Who Has Seen Her Wave Her Hand
- Solar Wake