The Autumn Offering - Requiem Review
Posted by Matt Shoemaker on 07.02.2009
The Autumn Offering didn't fare so well in the critical field with their last album, Fear Will Cast No Shadow. Will their new album help propel them back into the metalcore spotlight, or will this truly be their requiem?
The Band
Matt McChesney- Vocals
Tommy Church- Guitars
Matt Johnson- Guitars
Jonathon Lee- Drums
In 2007, The Autumn Offering released their album Fear Will Cast No Shadow, which was, all in all, a very mediocre, almost bordering bad album. There were tons of things wrong with it, things that critics jumped all over. Very basic structure, bland, generic metalcore sound, and a very hit or miss musical component, which basically lacked any sort of real structure. It sounded like the band just played whatever the hell they wanted, and a lot of times, songs came out a jumbled mess. While there were a couple of good songs on the album, it just wasn't enough to save it from earning the band a pretty shoddy reputation, especially since they had just added a new singer and drummer, something most people thought would save the band, especially in the case of vocalist McChesney, who came from accomplished metalcore band Hell Within.
After giving a preview hearing of Requiem to one of their detractors, said reviewer admitted he was "ready to give the band a second chance", and he's absolutely right in doing so. Anyone who has followed the band since their inception and release of their debut album, Revelations of the Unsung, are certainly in for a surprise with Requiem. In fact, it's pretty easy to assume this is not the same band as they were two years ago. This is an all new Autumn Offering. The band has adopted a meaner, leaner, almost take-no-prisoners style. Moving from the generic metalcore sound of Fear..., the band now resembles more of a melodic hardcore sound, occasionally moving back into their metalcore roots, but this time making it seem almost effortless in how well they pull off the sound. But for the most part, this album is heavy. Very, very heavy.
While the music has improved notably, McChesney is probably the most improved of the group. On Fear..., his vocal style was sporadic, to put it lightly. There were random switches from clean singing to screams to downright guttural growls, and it really brought the music down, as, most of the time, it wasn't really necessary. However, on Requiem, he's found a much more suitable tone, more in the vein of, as I mentioned, hardcore vocalists. While it's not a downright yell, it's much more aggressive and driven than his previous work. His clean singing has also improved notably, as it's much more natural, and harmonizes with the music perfectly. The reason it works so well on this album is because it's not overused, and I may be mistaken, but I believe he relies less on it on this album, trying to focus more on the heavier aspect of his voice.
Musically, as I said, the band is leagues above what they were, and it seems as if the whole band is trying to make up for their last album, in the musical sense. Aside from the choruses and some great guitar solos, the guitars stay tuned very low, which provides a very dark, threatening sound. The drums are absolutely insane on this album, as well. Lee makes great use of his whole kit, providing some excellent fills, and incredibly solid verses and choruses. The double bass drumming on this album rivals the speed and accuracy of Children of Bodom. And Lee is not afraid to let loose with the pedals, as some songs are totally dominated by the bass drums, providing a very fitting backup for the new, hardcore-themed sound.
As for some of the highlights of the album, of which there are a great many, "Fixed Like Medication", "Portrait", and the title track are the standouts, going far beyond my expectations of what this band could do as a cohesive unit. "Fixed Like Medication" starts out with a small intro, which, in a way, is somewhat eerie, before exploding into a headbanging verse, with McChesney absolutely dominating the overall sound, as well as providing a great chorus. "Portrait" does something similar, with an eerily familiar riff, breaking down into a true hardcore sound that is impossible not to nod your head along to, capped off with a great guitar riff that keeps popping up throughout the song. "Requiem" is the highlight track of the album, mixing an absolutely incredible guitar riff, great drums, and blistering vocals, with an absolutely fantastic chorus.
The 411: Well, the band seemingly payed attention to their critics, and I don't think anyone saw an album like this coming. This sounds like a completely different band, and it's incredible. The Autumn Offering did a hell of a job one-upping themselves, though it was not a terribly difficult task to accomplish. My only question is: Will they be able to do it again?
