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Autumns Eyes is a strange band. This is one of those one-man acts that produces a lot of output, and the style of the music on offer has varied a lot over the last 16 years. Originally a Melodic Death Metal band, the albums have veered between post metal and goth rock, with their last one, Broken Leaves and Haunted Streets, being an entirely instrumental album with some gorgeous guitar work. This, the eighth album under the Autumns Eyes name, is a far more commercial project than ever before.

The DNA of Type O Negative has always been a part of this band, but never more strongly than this. Largely ditching the harsh growls for a deep, sotto-voiced baritone, Dan Mitchell has produced a work that is deeply evocative of albums like October Rust – unquestionably Type O's best work – and thus steps entirely out of anything that could be called Death Metal to produce a definitive Gothic album. Opener "Death of October" is a catchy, propulsive tune that sets the stage for the rest of the album, which wallows in moody atmospheres, hooky riffs, and morbid lyrics that would make Peter Steele proud. Here and there more harsh vocals pop up, but I have to say they don't suit the style of the album as much this time. Overall this makes for a gloomy but highly entertaining sound, and if he keeps going this direction, I see nothing but good in the future of this band.