Check It Out: Autumn

I’ve been waiting for a while to write about this band – and now it’s time!

Yes, Autumn is one of my absolute favorite female-fronted bands. (And one of Robin’s, too, if I’m not mistaken.) They’re also one of the few bands who have mastered the art of musical evolution. Originally, they performed epic gothic metal (imagine Epica or After Forever without the symphonics or an operatic vocalist) – and today, they do a more direct style of atmospheric, alternative metal. That’s quite a swing from one musical extreme to the other, isn’t it? The thing is, each Autumn album brings out different sides of the band’s personality. And, with the exception of their debut When Lust Evokes the Curse, I’ve enjoyed every Autumn album to date.

Autumn is from Groningen, Netherlands and has actually been around for a while. The original line-up formed in 1995 – but the band didn’t record their first album until 2003! What’s also amazing about this band is each woman they’ve selected as their lead vocalist has been a perfect choice. Nienke de Jong (who left Autumn in 2008 and now fronts the hard rock band DejaFuse) has a sultry, charismatic voice that’s one of the most unique on the scene. Marjan, on the other hand, injects a smooth warmth and maturity into the music when she sings.

I love Autumn’s two past albums equally – so much that I’d say both would be on my top 10 list of all-time favorite female-fronted rock/metal albums. My New Time, released in 2007, is an appropriately named album. It marks Autumn’s departure from gothic metal for the more rock-oriented direction they have now. The songs are more straightforward and better suited for Nienke’s distinct voice, and the ambiances range from mysterious (“Angel of Desire”) to sad (“Sunday Mornings”) to fearsome (“State of Mind”). I either like or love every song on My New Time, but my favorite track from it is definitely the single, “Satellites.” Here’s the band’s official video for “Satellites”:

Altitude (2009) is Autumn’s most recent album and Marjan’s first with the band. It’s in the same vein as My New Time, but the band experiments with more relaxed moods, progressive elements, and lengthier compositions. (In fact, Altitude reminds me of Anathema’s recent works.) I love a number of songs from this CD: “Paradise Nox,” “Altitude,” “A Minor Dance,” … but “Skydancer” tops them all. This song makes me feel confident, content, even invincible in a subtle way – the exact sentiments that Autumn had hoped their fans would feel when listening to this song. (Click here to read a track-by-track description of Altitude that features this comment.) Here is a live clip of Autumn performing “Skydancer”:

Autumn are:

• Marjan Welman: Vocals
• Jens van der Valk: Guitars, Backing Vocals
• Mats van der Valk: Guitars, Backing Vocals
• Jan Munnik: Keyboards
• Jerome Vrielink: Bass
• Jan Grijpstra: Drums

Autumn is getting ready to release its fifth full-length album in November via Metal Blade Records. (Yay!!) So, stay tuned to the band’s official website, Myspace, Facebook, and ReverbNation sites to get the latest info as soon as it’s available. You can also buy Autumn’s albums at iTunes (mixed in with other artists with the same name – how annoying!), Amazon, Metal Blade Records, and metal/rock music shops worldwide.

~ Sara