Autumnblaze
The Mute Sessions
5.2
Boy, it is a damn good thing I checked out Autumnblaze’s website before writing this review. I was ready to question why we’d ever get such a light, acoustic album for review here, and then I learned that The Mute Sessions is an unplugged album consisting of songs from two older albums, Bleak and Mute Boy, Sad Girl. Having never heard the band before, I tracked down a few of the original versions of songs covered on this album, and they are only slightly more energetic, with occasional black metal screeching.
Autumnblaze are typical of a few other bands under the wing of Prophecy Productions, such as Antimatter, Blazing Eternity, and the softer side of In the Woods. Here is the general formula: simple, clean guitar lines, simple bass, simple drumwork, and clean, safe singing that will never be accused of pushing the boundaries of his natural ability. The acoustic, in-studio sound was captured nicely by the producer, with guitars, bass, and drums set at just the right levels.
On a few tracks, the songwriting is captivating and somewhat moving. This is the case on “The Nature of Music”, “Scared” (which reminds me of Katatonia’s “A Darkness Coming”), and “I Shiver”. Regrettably, much of the rest of the album is rather lifeless. When they uncover a good riff, they play it to exhaustion, and the songs fail to come to any sort of climax as one would expect.
I wish that Autumnblaze would take a darker approach to their songwriting, as bands like Agalloch do, or would at least flesh out these songs more. I realize that this is an unplugged album, but hearing the actual songs reaffirms that the music here is just sparse. Fans of Autumnblaze will naturally appreciate The Mute Sessions, but this is too bland for my tastes.
Related
AutumnblazePerdition Diaries
6/12/2009