The Autumn Offering

If there’s one thing that Victory records knows how to do, it’s market their bands. Tony Brummell and company make damn sure, and obnoxiously so at times, that everyone knows they have a new release coming out, and that it’s the next big thing in punk/hardcore or whatever other flavor of the week they happen to be pushing.

Odd then, that until I actually received a copy of Revelations of the Unsung, I hadn’t the slightest clue it was coming out. Still, trying to capitalize on anything relating to Swedish-influenced metal, Victory has released another record full of slick solos, double bass drumming, and raspy vocals.

For what it is though, I can’t knock it. These five gentlemen have a rather firm grasp on what it takes to write solid metal songs, and though variety isn’t the name of their game, the album holds up pretty well at first. Dennis Miller’s (yes, that’s his real name) vocals are just ferocious. The band wastes no time kicking up the intensity, as “The Great Escape” puts together slow, pounding drum beats with squealing guitar and Miller’s very succinct vocal delivery. “Calm After the Storm” picks up the pace a good deal however, with some quicker riffing and a relentless pace kept by drummer Nick Geylon. This song is also where the band first falters, however, as about 45 seconds in, the guitars slow for some token spoken word about setting a body ablaze before the breakdown kicks in -- an unfortunate change in direction from a band who had been showing some promise to that point. Luckily, after the spoken word part passes, guitarist George Moore offers up an absolutely ripping solo that gives the track the kick it really needed.

The rest of the album doesn’t really present a whole lot to get excited over, but it does remain a solid metal album. The band as a whole works as a very cohesive unit, as is necessary to be able to play this kind of music well. The pace is quick and relentless, the guitars heavy, and the lyrics surprisingly intelligent for a record like this. The package is a solid, albeit common one.

Victory Records' latest signing doesn’t provide anything here to gawk over, but if you just can’t get enough Swedish-inspired metal, I see no reason you wouldn’t enjoy the Autumn Offering.