THE AUTUMN OFFERINGEmbrace The GutterVictory Records
10/10
Exceeding all expectations, The Autumn Offering bursts forth with “Embrace The Gutter,” a monumental record packed with more head-smashing tonnage than one could have ever anticipated after hearing their Stillborn debut, “Revelations Of The Unsung.” When the band launches into the blissfully mighty “Decay,” their status as heir apparent to the metal throne becomes painfully obvious. A raging mass of uncontrollable ferocity, the track thrives on emboldening, Slayer-strength riffage and the forceful growls of frontman Dennis Miller, who is instantly emerging as one of the finest screamers in metal. Mosh-worthy, razor-edged riffs give way to blustery blasts before the band breaks things down in stop-start fashion with a substantial fury being emitted by drummer Nick Gelyon. This youngster has such wickedly fast feet; you’ll be half-dead dizzy from hearing his complex double-kick barrages. The guitar team of Tommy Church and Matt Johnson tear away at their fretboards like true metal madmen on the beefy, forceful “The Yearning” as Miller spits pure vocal venom.
From Summon’s “As The Blood Runs Black” to Trivium’s mind-blowing “Ascendancy,” we’ve heard Jason Suecof progress greatly as a producer and in 2006, Suecof is undoubtedly the hottest, most sought-after knob-twister in all of heavy metal. Chalk up another production masterpiece for the esteemed studio wizard, with the vicious guitar tones, well-rounded mix and absolutely stellar drum tones herein topping even “Ascendancy” in their ability to relay the perfect balance of pure, unadulterated metal that The Autumn Offering so effortlessly serves in generous portions.
Church and Johnson shred with such confidence of the album’s title track, that it’s downright jaw-dropping, while as Miller unfurls a testosterone-filled bellow during the track’s insidiously ear-catching chorus, there can be no denying that Victory Records has generated a de facto coup de tat in snatching up this blazing hot young metal act. The Autumn Offering has built upon the type of unabashed aggressiveness espoused by bands like label mates Darkest Hour and completely ran away with it. The final result is a sound that’s heavy and melodic, yet never anything except purely intense. Suecof himself chimes in with a fretboard shredding solo here that further adds to the intensity of the cut. Bassist Sean Robbins will floor you with his crushing performance here
The killing spree continues on the energy-filled crushing number “Ghost” where Johnson and Church team up for the greatest tandem melodic solo this side of Murray and Smith, and the massively detuned, chugging outro that follows is anything but stereotypical. What it is though, is goddamn heavy metal designed to bust your eardrums on impact. As the band rips through the roaring thunder of “Misery” and the technical brilliance of “This Future Disease,” Miller’s adrenaline-filled, bassy belching grows even angrier and on the later, the vocalist opts to keep things hard and heavy as opposed to resorting to emo-tinged melodic singing. This fact alone gives The Autumn Offering more credibility than ninety percent of the new metal groups out there. An excellent lead kicks off “One Last Thrill,” which has one of the most ear-striking choruses on the entire record. If metalheads are not incited to mosh when hearing this track in concert, they should be ousted from the venue. Music this heavy commands you to mosh; you simply have no other choice.
“No End In Sight” shows masterful songwriting skills and is packed with face-ripping leads to boot. Miller’s gruff attack is relentless, and the mighty rhythms never let up. As The Autumn Offering launch into “Walk The Line” a variety of old school thrash influences come to mind, yet are eradicated by the group’s monstrous aural presence. The band’s music literally leaps from the speakers and grips you by the throat here, whilst the album’s closer, “The Final Cut,” gracefully slashes it from ear to ear with a doom-laden, highly befitting metal epitaph. Hell, yeah.
Make no mistake, “Embrace The Gutter” is one of the shining achievements of heavy metal in 2006, as yet unrivaled in terms sheer, unrestrained fortitude. It’s a bit early to make the call on the greatest effort of the year, as there’s plenty more metal to be released in the second half of ’06, but this album is a Top 10 choice all the way. These young killers are most damn sure out for blood with this beast of a metal record, so heed the call and embrace the fucking gutter.
ERIN FOX © 2006 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
