This post will be short and sweet. Autumn's Grey Solace are one of my favorite bands. Their dark yet luminous, soft and sorrowful spell of Ethereal indulgence is an absolute treat. Serene and tranquil, the heavy washing of reverberated sounds lets the alluring vocals of Erin Welton soar graciously through gorgeous synths and shimmering guitars that meld into an ooze of soothing noise, sounding both luscious, ripe and harmonious. In the first few years of being heavily into their music, rotating it often, I grew to adore their releases but after 2012's stunning "Divinian", "Monajjfyllen" and "Windumæra" couldn't quite do it for me. With this release I fear the same fate, these songs are just unable to make an impact on me.
As a listener the problem is in predictability and similarity, not a moment passes by that feels unexpected or surprising, every strum of the guitar, chord arrangement or note sung feels like pieces of the puzzle re-arranged. No song here was a stranger, from start to end It feels like Déjà vu, all Ive heard before and that makes it harder to leave an impression. The records tone, production and aesthetic is sublime, one of their best sounding records but the music is so distinctively typical and within the usual tropes they perform it fails to make itself known or unique. After many enjoyable listens I feel as if I could of been listening to anyone of their recent releases, it lacks distinction or something to separate and call its own.
Favorite Track: Andromedea
Rating: 5/10