The Autumn Offering Revelations Of The Unsung

When I was just a sophomore in high school there was this senior, Mike Burnd, who used to wear shirts that I thought were really cool at the time (e.g. Pantera, Metallica, Megadeth). After he graduated, I never saw or heard of him again until he moved next door to my parents' house just last year. He has since traded in his band shirts for dress shirts, khakis and penny loafers and all the rest that's often times eventual when one "grows up." Before I get onto my point, I must first explain my town. I live in a very small, rural town. We do not get our mail delivered to our front door. We have to drive all the way across town to our mailboxes. The outdoors post office has become a very social environment in the town of Burnside. This morning, I drove up to the mailboxes with the windows of my car rolled down and I was playing The Autumn Offering‘s CD. There were two parties present at the mailboxes; Mike Burnd and Jamie Phillips (she was Mike's age and I've always had kind of a thing for her). I suddenly became 16 again as I felt the need to impress them both. Just as the breakdown in "The Great Escape" was coming on, I blasted my stereo and exited the car trying to act as casually as possible. At this point, life is imitating art as I'm the embodiment of Adam Sandler in Billy Madison. We all remember the part where he rolls up to high school in his Firebird and he's blaring his radio; well that was me now. While I'm getting my mail, Mike asks me who I'm listening to. I tell him it's this new band, The Autumn Offering, and he says "They sound exactly like Pantera." And that's exactly the point I'm trying to make. The Autumn Offering's first... offering will be filed under the overflowing "Really Fun, But Nothing New" category. While Mike may have been a little off with the Pantera reference, because they don't really sound exactly like anyone, but more so like everyone, In Flames being the most blatant. What this album lacks in innovation it makes up for in solidity and great musicianship. Even if you're a deaf paraplegic, it cannot be denied that there are parts on this album that just make you bang your head. Being that The Autumn Offering are the anomaly of Stillborn's roster, I'm assuming Jamey Jasta signed them not only because they're a good band, but also to add some diversity to his label. This album seems more fitting on Century Media or Metal Blade or a label that is not wholly metal, but nearly so. Revelations Of The Unsung is not an album I can listen to everyday, but upon receiving it I did go on a two day listening binge. The production is surprisingly good for a band's first release. All of the instruments are audible and clear, and the drums sounds really, really good. My two major complaints about this album are not major enough to make me dislike the band, but they are major enough to keep from listening to it all the time. The first thing I noticed about this album, which made me not want to listen to it at all, was the artwork. The cover is a dude's face with a picture in his mouth. The picture looks identical to the cover of the new Unearth. And there's smoke (like a Snoop Dogg music video smoke) coming out of his mouth. The layout is very dismal, boring and ugly. And I think "The Autumn Offering" is in the same font as "All Out War" on AOW's latest record. Call me superficial, but I think a CD's cover art is important as it's nearly always the first thing the buyer/listener sees. The album's second flaw is a little more consequential; the vocals. Really there is nothing wrong with the vocals except that they are also very uninteresting. It reminds me a lot of the vocalist from Darkest Hour and that's a big turn off for me. And closely tied to the vocals are the lyircs, which are barely better. The song's topics are penned with banality. However, I was more than pleased to see Phil Labonte of All That Remains fame lend his vocal talents on the album's highlight track, "Homecoming." Bottom Line: They're not Endthisday or Lamb Of God or Darkest Hour, but they are in the same category as those bands. The Autumn Offering don't do anything that hasn't been done before, but they're at least a cut above most new metalcore acts. This album, although flawed in some parts, is a great first release for any band. In as few words as possible, it's contrived yet charismatic. Pick it up if you're looking for some fun, new music.