The Autumn Offering - Embrace the Gutter

Genre metal Publisher Victory Records External Links Official The Autumn Offering Official Victory Records Website

The Autumn Offering returns with its second album, Embrace the Gutter. On the middle portions of this sophomore effort, the five-man band from Florida begin developing a style of its own. The vocals, although most times undecipherable, express an outrage at a number of things, mostly the lack of substance present in our culture. These feelings are conveyed most effectively through the raging guitars. Maybe this writer's ears are losing interest in the art of screaming, something that lessens the value of the lyrical intent the band addresses.

Three tracks stand out on Embrace the Gutter. The title track has a near catchy chorus that had this writer, with lyrics in hand, hit repeat to take a second listen. The vocals on "Ghost" are clearer than on most others and it has a great guitar groove in the middle. Just when it feels like the song is about to end, the guitars kick in stronger with a haunting riff that appropriately fits the song's title. Embrace the Gutter concludes with the aptly-titled "The Final Cut." This instrumental has a Metallica-type orchestral quality to it. The last minute contains a soothing melody (for heavy metal) with one final guitar thrashing that brings this album to an end.

Other notable guitar moments appear in "No End in Sight" and "One Last Thrill." At the halfway mark of the latter, there's a 20-second Spanish guitar feel to it that works quite nicely. More of these variations on the guitar would have made this already strong guitar album more appealing.