Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/09/2009
For
Fear Will Cast No Shadow,
the Autumn Offering's new, more versatile vocalist,
Matt McChesney, gave the band's sound a drastic overhaul as he alternated between growling, shrieking, and (gasp!) singing. Although it was a truly heavy affair, with some thunderous breakdowns, his
Linkin Park-style singing and affinity for piano parts may have lost the band some devoted metalcore fans. On
Requiem, the high-timbre singing is even more prevalent than before,
Mark Lewis' production is just as sparklingly clean as prior producer
Jason Suecof's, and lyrically, the subject matter is more personal and relationship-driven, which makes the band sound that much more like an emo (or screamo) group. It's amazing how monstrous roars can be softened by lines like "Fire burns my blood when I touch you/Your heart bestowed upon me/You tell me that it's art and your tears are made of lies" or "For all the promises I broke to you, I can't collect the pieces." Fortunately, musically, they're as tight as ever, as
Tommy Church and
Matt Johnson continue to turn in blistering guitar work with sweeping arpeggios and riffage that proudly carry the
Maiden/
Slayer torch, and new drummer
Brian Sculley rampages with as much kick-thumping fury as any of the three prior drummers. Fans of '80s speed metal interjected with big hooky pop melodies might want to take note.
~Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide
;)
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