Autumn is a gothic metal band from Netherlands and this is their third disc. Their previous disc, Summer’s End, is extraordinary lightly progressive gothic metal with an intoxicatingly dark, intense atmosphere. My New Time is quite different. They dropped the darkness and menace and took a mellower, more accessible and less progressive approach while keeping the crunchiness, heaviness and spacey keys. Like recent After Forever, Xandria, Sirenia, Delight and Nemesea and others, Autumn has left a distinctive signature gothic metal style and chosen a more commercial and poppy direction. As much as I wish they had continued in the vein of Summer’s End, Autumn has indeed crafted a well-done pop metal disc with memorable upbeat melodies and catchy choruses, and there are even touches of their previous dark intensity.

These touches are provided by their female vocalist, Nienke de Jong. She has a strong, husky, passionate and often sultry vocal style filled with emotion and intensity, though she is noticeably more reserved on My New Time than she was on Summer’s End. Yet even at her most upbeat she has an edge of brooding melancholy that injects the songs with a vigor and vitality that both contrasts and complements the otherwise straightforward accessibility of them.

It’s always risky when a metal band dramatically changes styles, especially when taking in a more mainstream direction. Yet this seems to be more and more the rule rather than the exception for the established female-fronted gothic metal bands, and not all of them by any means are doing it successfully. Autumn certainly has, though I predict they will be remembered more for the incredible uniqueness of Summer’s End than the well-done but somewhat commonplaceness of My New Time.

For more information visit the band’s MySpace site http://www.myspace.com/autumnband or http://www.autumn-band.com

8.0/10