AN AUTUMN FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN: Lost

Format: LP
Genre: Metal
Label: Prosthetic
Release Date: 31.08.2019
Order Number: PX103911

2010's debut release from An Autumn for Crippled ChildrenEXCLAIM! review:Although the band name is incentive enough to check out this album, the music is phenomenal. This Dutch ensemble perform emotionally-raping, depressive black metal to perfection, with noticeable death/doom touches for good measure. A combination of enormous attention to detail and less-than-perfect production makes Lost a breathtaking, melancholic wash. The overall sound quality, or tone, of the record is reminiscent of Nachtmystium, although the music is less overtly angry and more agonizingly disheartened. Lost isn't a concept album, but there's an overarching atmosphere that unifies the record and gives one the illusion of the tracks being more like movements of a larger whole rather than separate pieces. That's not to say they all sound alike ? within the harsh, depressed strains of these scores lays a continued exploration of the band's sound. From raging blasts to poignant, almost tender moments and everything in between, Lost's replay value is high. With each ensuing listen, one notices more enmeshed layers and melodies that, when deconstructed, may be fairly simple, but taken together create a staggeringly clever soundscape. The record's title is apt; this one might slip under the radar, but it is well worth keeping an eye out for.