Review by Vladimir on July 17, 2024.

Discovering great obscure bands can be very difficult nowadays, but if you know where to look, then it really is a rewarding experience once you find them. Such is the case with the melodic gothic/death metal one-man band Autumns Eyes, founded by Daniel Mitchell, whom I discovered through the amazing Scars and Guitars podcast show that I frequently watch. During this episode, he mentioned that a new album will be out in the near future, which was previously teased with singles 'Follow The Embers' and 'Faith In Cycles', but come June 20th 2024, the ninth full-length album Grimoire Of Oak & Shadow was finally released independently on digital streaming platforms. If you are curious to see what story this album has to tell, then be prepared for the journey you're about to embark on.

Autumns Eyes provides very heavy sombre serenades from the very get-go, drenched in sorrow and melancholy, yet also shrouded in mystery, with a very autumn-like atmosphere that plays with your imagination, as if leaves are already going dry and falling down in September. All of this is nicely presented through melodic gothic metal that oozes with simplistic but catchy riffs, powerful guitar melodies, magical keyboards, Peter Steele styled deep vocals and occasional shouting vocals. It's got a very strong sense of stylistic consistency that carries over from start to finish, maintaining an even level of tragedy and heaviness that flows through each song, with some exceptional moments that really succeed at playing with your emotions. Take for example the track 'Late To Live, Early To Die', which displays such intensity and pain through the music that in its essence carries the personal struggles surrounding the loss of a loved one, with such incredible capability of reflecting on the last moments before death. When I got as far as here, I was very close to shed a tear, because such expressions of heavy emotions and melodies can definitely make you cry, especially if you can relate to the nature and the background of the song. I think that this song definitely has a story to tell, but I believe that one should not overlook how Daniel Mitchell managed to carry out what he was holding inside and then transfer that in a musical form in such a genius way. The further the album progresses, it's impossible to not become immersed into its atmosphere and become one with the journey through the deep forest, because once you get halfway through, you are guaranteed to become completely possessed by the spell that hides behind Autumns Eyes. The more you wander, the more you are filled with anticipation of what will happen next, while being completely oblivious to what is going on around you or where this journey may lead you. With an execution such as this, it is pretty much like a fast forward to September, as the album practically goes further in time with summer dying fast. Amongst all of this you will hear various elements coming from bands such as Type O Negative, Moonspell, Dark Tranquility, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, with a bit of Children Of Bodom on a couple of tracks that go in a melodic death metal direction like 'Prophet Fearing' and 'Violation Of Light'. Considering how this journey was met with a lot of inner struggles and challenges, you would expect a grand climax in the form of an epic finale that concludes this transcendental experience, and it rightfully does with 'Sorrow & Sunlight', the final and longest track on the album that feels like a moment where protagonist looks back on the events that unfolded along the way, while hearing the voices of those lost but not forgotten. The conclusion is met with a strong sense of reflection and remembrance, which is like a scene in a movie where you see glimpses of the things that the protagonist has been through while moving on with his life.

With all that said, I think it speaks for itself that this album has quite the dynamic songwriting with a variety of musical ideas with different styles and frequent tempo changes, which was well executed in a way that it constantly keeps things interesting and never tiresome or overencumbered. What this album did pretty well aside from the songwriting is that it provides a strong storytelling quality to it, which is basically like reading through an author's private dairy/journal where he expresses the turmoil and difficulties he's going through, or a grimoire that essentially summons spirits of the forest that watch over you with every footstep. It's always rewarding when you come across a magical album such as this that essentially gives you the perspective of the protagonist, experiencing everything from a first person point of view, but I think that is actually a matter of relating to the main character and his personal background, which I believe we can all share through the same eyes. I don't really recall an album with such capability and quality that affects you in such a way, if you ask me I think it's just a matter of human nature, the ability to connect with the band through their music, and I can easily tell that it proved itself to be more than effective. While listening to this album, I kept asking myself why am I feeling such a big personal attachment to it, and I didn't know if it had something to do with its melancholic gothic atmosphere, the overall musical output, the lyrical themes, or all of the above. It is a matter of one's interpretation, and naturally everybody is going to have a different answer to that question, but I think we can all agree that there is a bit of everything that binds us together with the spirit of Autumns Eyes, so there really is no right or wrong conclusion. Grimoire Of Oak & Shadow has a very top-notch and clean production with a nice organic sound that perfectly balances every bit of instrumentation, as well as the vocal work.

What can I say, Grimoire Of Oak & Shadow turned out to be such a pleasant and magical experience worth the while, and I can definitely say that it was incredibly life-changing. Call me crazy, but when the album came to a conclusion, I felt somewhat sad because it was really like seeing that final scene in Return of the King when our main heroes sailed to the Grey Havens, a beautiful story that came to an end. Like I said before, this is a journey that takes you to a different place by constantly playing with your imagination, always creating powerful images and building up the story the further it progresses. If you really fancy some melodic gothic metal, you should not miss out on this album, because you will find something alien and otherworldly in its nature.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10