Metal Reviews

Autumns Eyes - Follow the Embers - Song Review - Gothic Metal from Connecticut, USA

Wednesday, November 22nd, another unfulfilled morning in my simulation here in this place. Headphones in my ears, playing the music while I am writing about it; Follow the Embers by Autumns Eyes. A promising work from a mysterious American project surprised me with their incorporation of gothic and progressive music.

Autumns Eyes - Follow the Embers (Official Video)

"Music video for the track "Follow the Embers" from the album "Grimoire of Oak & Shadow" by solo metal band Autumns Eyes."

Follow the Embers convinced me as a listener on a few different occasions since I heard it, eventually leading me to write about this song. Although I have never been a fan of gothic music, sometimes experiencing that fresh feeling is enough to give credit where it's due, regardless of any specifics about the music style.

Firstly, the song follows a familiar musical concept that incorporates rock, metal, industrial, progressive, and gothic influences, yet it primarily shines through its gothic characteristics in both musicality and sound character.

Moreover, the song distinguishes itself with its guitar work, which was a great pleasure to hear. While everything stays within the boundaries of gothic heavy rock in general, the track has the potential to incorporate more progressive elements in the future, potentially evolving into new territory. This was one of the main reasons why I wanted to write about it. The musical journey embraces both acoustic and heavy electric guitars, merging them in a progressive and melodic way, adding freshness and depth, all while maintaining a heavy filter of gothic and dark vibes throughout the song.

Daniel Mitchell, artist photoPhoto credit: Unknown

On the other hand, one of the most prominent characteristics of this song, for me, is its resemblance to "German metal," both musically and in its sound personality. From a technical standpoint, the sound character was the leading factor that made me think this was a band of German origin, until I realized it was actually a one-man-orchestra project of Daniel Mitchell, hailing from Connecticut, the United States. The song gave me a signal that turned out to be untrue in the end, and I'm not quite sure what that says about the project.

It would also be safe to argue that the production seems leaning towards the work of an electronic music producer, who preferred and envisioned a heavily edited and processed project, which isn't necessarily expected in a context with such promising instrumentation. Nevertheless, thanks to this unique vision, Autumns Eyes is now a project with so much room for growth.

Daniel Mitchell, artist photoPhoto credit: Unknown

Ultimately, I enjoyed the musical concept of Autumns Eyes, particularly when they ventured beyond the secure and conventional sonic boundaries of gothic rock. A promising interpretation of a one-man-orchestra project, incorporating heavy ambiance with gothic, progressive, and industrial rock influences, complemented by fascinating acoustic and heavy guitar work. Thank you for reading.