ALBUM REVIEW: Harbinger – Arrival Of Autumn
From deep within the Canadian wilderness, a distant roar echoes across an icy abyss. Upon closer examination, this aural barrage can be attributed to metalcore newcomers ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN. Hailing from the one-horse town of Grande Prairie, this outfit are proving themselves to be an oasis in an otherwise musically barren landscape. Throwing themselves deep into a creative well, the quintet have embarked on a journey to pastures new; one that would prove to culminate in their forthcoming debut album Harbinger.
Airtight in its metallic construct, the record kicks off with Hurricane On The Horizon. Immediately screaming into life with manic flair, the band’s bruising approach is surprisingly well refined. Sweeping hooks are littered freely from the offset, pummelling as they carry the track forwards in frenetic fashion. This striking opener sets a precedent for the apocalyptic imagery that will play out across the remainder of the album, and segways neatly into second track End Of Existence. Pummelling percussion thuds alongside spiralling riffs and a thundering vocal howl, perfectly capturing the dark, decaying feel of the autumnal transition whilst offering a hopeful spark in the darkness. This is a song that truly brims with life.
Witness is next on the hit-list. Almost a sonic paraphrase to metal masters TRIVIUM, this is a track that soars relentlessly through a glacial landscape. For this record ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN have employed the services of renowned producer Jason Suecof, and during tracks like this, his meticulous, sophisticated guidance shines through. This clinical sheen is also testament to the drive displayed by the outfit throughout. Ultimately, the experience of Suecof and their own creative prowess has converged in epic fashion, allowing songs like The Horror to shine with rippling vigour. It feels polished, yet not overproduced, and possesses a certain spirit that really gets the blood pumping.
This energy does not dissipate one bit, with Old Bones – New Blood following suit in abundance. Here the thunderous metalcore endures, bounding along and introducing yet more hooks to an album already teeming with resourcefulness. Chugging verses bleed into anthemic choruses before a climatic solo from lead guitarist Brendan Anderson rips through the tail-end of the track. Pressing onwards once again, Better Off Without next tackles an obscure concept addressed by the band. “At some point in history we gained conscience and mistook it for a divine voice,” they said. Driving this message home in true style, the punitive vocals of Jamison Friesen are unleashed, and the band persist in doing what they do best.
Arguably a concept album of sorts, ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN aim to instigate mindfulness and positivity with this release. They hope that the content will help people to think about how they live their lives day to day, be themselves and believe what they believe. As they tear through Symbiotic and An Omen Of Loss, this premise is further explored and established. By the time we reach lead single The Endless, the message is loud and clear. Inspired by the TV show Westworld, this excerpt addresses human psyche and free will in yet another scything, iron-strong assault. Impermeable in nature, it plays out as an atmospheric trance, setting an eerie scene for Apocalypic to draw the curtain. It closes the album with a melange of dizzying solos and thumping drums and saves one of the record’s strongest riffs until last. The track is a worthy ultimatum to an album rife with ingenuity and one that acts as a smoke signal for this band. In a nutshell, ARRIVAL OF AUTUMN have emerged from whence they came, daring to scream from obscurity and prevailing as earnest players in global metal.
Rating: 7/10
Harbinger is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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