Mix together brutal guitar riffs, technical solos, mammoth growls, catchy clean vocals, machine like rhythms, and memorable melodies, and it all equals the latest from The Autumn Offering. Requiem is a pretty polished effort from this US metal horde, showing some real maturity not only on a musical level, but also from a songwriting perspective. By blending intricate, progressive metal passages with death metal fury, and injecting hardcore brutality and pop melodicism into that combination, Requiem morphs into a well-rounded and varied affair that has appeal to a wide variety of extreme metal listeners. It's hard to ignore the gorgeous piano strains tempering the otherwise pummeling "Venus Morning", or the slegdehammer riffs coupled with wild, flashy guitar leads on "Narcosis", a track that easily will appeal to fans of the heaviest prog-metal bands. If it's brutal, no holds barred metalcore you crave, check out the rampaging "Worn Out Wings", and the melodic death metal attack of "Obsidian Halo" not only features some pretty impressive technical guitar solos, but a variety of vocal styles, both clean and growls, perfectly paired together. The atmospheric instrumental "Light of Day" is a real winner, showing the skills of guitarists Tommy Church & Matt Johnson, and the duo hit some addicting harmony lines on the more straightforward rocker "Bleed Together", a real showcase for the melodic vocal stylings of Matt McChesney. Another strong number here is "Smut Queen", a real heavy number punctuated by some brutal riffage, pounding drums, and some tasty guitar leads. Closer "Portrait" has some crushing, relentless riffs that almost remind of Slayer or Lamb of God, and ends the CD on a real high note.
Hard to fault anything here on Requiem, another real solid release from these young studs that displays fully their instrumental skills as well as their growing songwriting chops. Memorable stuff, and kick ass at the same time.
Track Listing
1. The Curtain Hits The Cast
2. Narcosis
3. Venus Mourning
4. Worn Out Wings
5. Fixed Like Medication
6. Obsidian Halo
7. Light Of Day
8. Requiem
9. Bleed Together
10. Smut Queen
11. Portrait
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