Over the years, heavy metal has cycled in and out of the mainstream culture. Today, metal is in the middle of a renaissance complete with its challenging guitar solos, melodic choruses and, often, new elements borrowed from hardcore and gothic rock. On the forefront of this new metal movement is the Autumn Offering, whose explosive new release, Embrace the Gutter, makes a strong case for the continued viability of this oft-dismissed genre.
Hailing from Florida, the locale that spawned influential bands like Savatage and Death, the Autumn Offering helps legitimize the state’s rich metal heritage after its recent dalliances with boy bands and emo. The original incarnation of the Autumn Offering came together in 1999, when the members were still in high school. After several member changes, the band arrived at a surprisingly diverse sound. While paying attention to the ubiquitous grunge acts like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, TAO were looking elsewhere for entertainment. Says vocalist Dennis Miller, “We all have such different influences when it comes to music, but the one thing we all have in common is our love for the classics [including] Black Sabbath, Zeppelin, AC/DC and all the great classic rock bands [and] all the great classic metal bands like Metallica and Pantera.” Additional inspiration came from ’90s hardcore groups like Snapcase and Strife. Beyond musical direction, the band agrees that inspiration was provided by the members’ upbringing in Daytona Beach, where NASCAR and beachfront hotels meet street drugs and widespread poverty. In fact, the experience inspired the title of the band’s second recording, Embrace the Gutter. According to Miller, “the inspiration for [the title] definitely comes from our hometown. Anyone that has ever been here ... will agree that it is a [hole]. It’s plagued by bums and crack cocaine. But to ‘embrace the gutter’ is to just suck it up and play with the cards you have been dealt. None of us come from rich homes, and [we] have always had to fight for what we have.” The convergence of these varied guiding energies is what the band describes as “white trash thrash.”
The band’s sound has led it to a recording contract with indie powerhouse Victory Records, who signed them after the release of TAO’s 2004 debut, Revelations of the Unsung. Landing at Victory was a stroke of good fortune for the band, as the label has a great recent track record with young metal bands like Atreyu. It also provides a good deal of career validation and excitement since many band members grew up listening to bands from Victory’s early period. “Being a part of the Victory family is a really cool thing for me personally. Some of the first CDs I ever bought were from Victory. We have seen what they have done for bands in the past and couldn’t say no when they came to us with the offer.” The new CD, recorded with producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, God Forbid), showcases the relentless riffing and soloing of guitarists Matt Johnson and Tommy Church, the punishing rhythms of bassist Sean Robbins and drummer Nick Gelyon along with Miller’s hardcore-inspired growls and shouts. The band is understandably happy with the outcome, including the brutal “Decay” and the more musically accessible title track. The album is currently receiving healthy exposure through independent radio stations and video outlets like M2 and Fuse.
The band has several months of hard touring ahead to promote its latest effort. Fresh off the road, Miller reports, “We are heading out with Sick of It All for their 20th anniversary tour this September. It’s definitely an honor to be going out with such a respected band. Some of the first shows I ever went to in high school were SOIA shows, so it’s definitely cool to be heading out with them. After that, I believe we are heading out with Mushroomhead for the month of October. We are planning to stay on the road as long as we can off this record.”
www.theautumnoffering.com |
