An Autumn For Crippled Children - Lost
ATMF
Depressive Doom/Black Metal
9 songs (50:24)
Release year: 2010
ATMF
Reviewed by Goat

Ignore your first impressions of this band. Although they have an unthreatening name and seen-it-all-before artwork, the Dutch trio have created an album that walks the fine line between the most depressive and miserable black metal and a more hopeful post-rock-influenced Doom style that makes for a compelling listen overall. You wouldn't think it, but there are still things that can be said about depressive music that haven't already been repeated ad infinitum, and although Lost isn't the perfect declaration of originality that the subgenre so desperately needs, it is a good listen. To Set Sails To The Ends Of The Earth begins with almost Blackgaze melancholic riffing and distant piano forming a wall of noise, behind which vocalist MXM shrieks like an abandoned child in a mental hospital. It's instantly gripping, even with the near-clichéd drop of heaviness for post-rock melody that comes barely two minutes in, and the almost catchy barrage of blasting shows the band have a few interesting songwriting ideas, too.

Tracks never vary that much from each other, although there are subtle differences. Tragedy Bleeds All Over The Lost is a bit more upbeat, almost approaching Katatonia territory until the manic screaming comes in and things take a turn for the Black. Dire Faith and the title track are slower and more stately, with increased usage of piano, and generally the likes of Ghost Light are decent, hints of shimmering keyboards kept behind the wall of noise the band like to lead their music with, with some surprisingly headbangable riffing. Distant melodic flourishes on I Beg Thee Not To Spare Me give the track a subtly jaunty air, at clear odds with the subject matter, and Gaping Void Of Silence has an uncanny psychedelic feeling of its own.

It's a real blend of styles, overall, but very subtly done, and it will probably take several listens just to figure out what's going on. The band never dip into sheer madness - the chaos is always more controlled than you think, and it'd be interesting to see what they do with this in the future - something a little more structured and with more of a build-up would be interesting. To be honest, only people who are already fans of this style will truly enjoy Lost, but it's an interesting way to spend fifty minutes. If you've recently discovered the weirder aspects of Black Metal through the likes of Alcest, then An Autumn For Crippled Children will grant a look at an altogether darker world.

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Killing Songs :
To Set Sails To The Ends Of The Earth, Ghost Light, Gaping Void Of Silence
Goat quoted 78 / 100
Other albums by An Autumn For Crippled Children that we have reviewed:
An Autumn For Crippled Children - Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love reviewed by Neill and quoted 87 / 100
An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything reviewed by Alex and quoted 86 / 100
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