Autumn Tears – The Hallowing
Dark Symphonies – dark 27 – June 11, 2007
By Wayward_Son
Not one to follow the releases that come from Dark Symphonies, there has always been a gnawing on the brain that yours truly was missing something here. They have also skirted the outer edges of metal with some of their albums, and then they will dive headstrong into the metal melting pot with great stuff from
Novembers Doom,
Morgion, and
Hellveto. It is, however, those gothic oriented bands that seem to elude favor from this writer. Then you have a band like
Autumn Tears, which has not a thing to do with metal. This is much more in camp with classical music, being influenced by composers such as Haydn or Bach.
Originally released in a limited quantity of one thousand, and apparently sold out within just three weeks, Dark Symphonies saw justification in re-releasing
The Hallowing. The band has been plugging away for just over a decade with
The Hallowing being their fifth full length release for Dark Symphonies. Supposedly the band used to play a more darkwave or gothic oriented form of music, and used keyboards and samples for their sound. With
The Hallowing,
Autumn Tears uses a live string section, a few woodwind instruments as well as sparse brass instrumentation. The only vocals to be heard are those of Laurie Ann Haus, which is a haunting, serene vocal style.
It is difficult to pinpoint certain tracks in an album like this, but
’Keep Me Here’ is simply beautiful. The flute and piano intertwined together form a bleak outlook, but seem to be lifted by those hopeful vocals. Other songs such as
’The Last King Falls’,
’Yearning for the Tide’, and
’Canticle’ are worth hearing. Each has a section that was able to show a band that has reached the pinnacle of their abilities.
It goes without saying that a band like
Autumn Tears is not what would normally be played here. However, it is easy to appreciate what this band has created, which is an authentic piece of art.
Autumn Tears will appeal to fans that like that classical addition to their collection. If you have a penchant for bands like
Elend,
Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, or even
Dead Can Dance,
The Hallowing will have something positive to offer.
Official Autumn Tears Website
Official Dark Symphonies Website
