Embrace the Gutter

The Autumn Offering are relatively new faces to the metal scene. These guys would be considered to fit the gategory of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, but their sound is much more european sounding than many of their contemporaries. These guys remind me of old Arch Enemy. There are fun and catchy riffs, very good lead work and a vocal performance which is a growl, but with some melodic content to it.

The record shows much promise. There are some very groovy riffs and the vocal performance, albeit not a dazzling one, nonetheless fits the band's sound very well. As previously mentioned there is a definite european sound to this Florida based quintet. There are many melodic passages and soaring leads filled with sweep and alternate picking lines. The drums aren't over the top but remain steady and drive the rythm forward as they should. The bass is not a major elelement to the band's sound, and doesn't factor in that much in the overall quality of the record. Basically, this is a guitar driven record.

The songwriting is pretty simple. They played it safe on this one and I think it could work in their favor since it will get many fans tuned in. The band doesn't take many risks rather offering some pretty good thrashy songs you can headbang to. "Decay" is a good song with a fast pace and some very good lead work to boot. the vocal performance reminds me a lot of Darkest Hour's Undoing Ruin. "The Yearning" is another standout track as is the title track. "Embrace the Gutter" is a very simple song, but that doesn't stop its point from getting across.

The problem is that there are no extra layers to peel. This is generic metal done with a modern edge. So don't expect to be taken on a musical journey the likes of which you have never been. Just expect some euro-inspired American metal.