Artist:  Autumn
   Title: Altitude
   Label: Metal Blade 

What nice listening!!  

'Altitude' is a "light" Heavy Metal album and just what’s required for a lazy days when all you want is to chill out.  It is not too heavy that you want to turn it off, but it is not too soft that you feel like you are moving in Bon Jovi circles.  The album is dotted with wonderful guitar sounds (both electric and acoustic).  The opening track of 'Paradise Nox' is a catchy rocky tune that sucks you in and makes you want listen to the rest of the CD!!  It also shows off the vocal ability of new singer Marjan Welman.  She has a very soft voice that may not have a rock edge but that is able to take on each song and put her stamp on it.  

'Skydancer' is one of my favourite songs on the album and would certainly not be out of place on a movie soundtrack.  With lovely guitar riffs and haunting vocals, this song oozes emotions.  For those of us old enough to remember "slow sets" at the local disco, 'Synchro -Minds' would definitely have been a hit.

To me the Epic of the album is 'A Minor Dance'.  The album seems to shift up a gear towards the last few numbers with both 'Horizon Line' and 'Sulphur Rodents' having very powerful starts.  Horizon however does not follow through and is a bit weak.  Sulphur though does the job; the slightly distorted vocals along with the amazing drumming make it a wonderfully crafted song.  The last song on the CD is entitled 'Altitude'. Although its start seems to be closely linked to ‘Broken’ by Seether, it is a lovely number that finishes the album off nicely.  

Autumn don’t have the same powerful vocals or the same killer riffs as some of their counterparts (Within Temptation / Lacuna Coil), but they do have something that is a little bit different, very nice and worth a download.  

Review by: Janice

1. Paradise Nox
2. Liquid Under Film Noir
3. Skydancer
4. Synchro-Minds
5. The Heart Demands
6. A Minor Dance
7. Cascade (For A Day)
8. Horizon Line
9. Sulphur Rodents 
10. Answers Never Questioned
11. Altitude

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