Italians have a reputation for being passionate, bold, and expressive in their art. Milanese band Lay of the Autumn do their country proud on this debut album by laying down symphonic metal with a heartfelt metal edge that hearkens back to classical music. Recently formed as the brainchild of the lead songwriter, Davide Scuteri (Choirs of Veritas, Embrace of Souls, Ravenword), all the band members have worked with each other over the years in various bands and projects of a similar symphonic style. All except the vocalist who was a late addition to the roster. Announced earlier this year, singer Irina “Eria” Boyarkina (Mysterya) provides a strong presence as the lead vocalist completing the band.
At first listen, I drew comparisons to Luca Turilli with Scuteri’s virtuostic neoclassical keyboard work leading the charge. The songs run a little long due to complex song structures and some padding that could have been edited down. But with a patient ear on each listen, I hear beautifully crafted layers that form these songs. The band plays well for a debut and for the most part support their lead singer who gives a well-executed, fully-present, emotion-driven performance. But when there is space, the keyboard maestro will show off his skills along with solos from guitarist Davide Lovecchio.
Their style draws from power metal with just the right amount of extras to make their sound symphonic. Instead of a full-on symphony in support, they have a right-sized chamber ensemble. Songs like “Flowing Tears,” “Lost in Your Eyes,” and “Undergo Deconstruction” best demonstrate the band’s speed and power metal style with symphonic elements. When they get going, the band melds quite well together and sounds quite enjoyable. The two ballads “After All This Time? Always” and “Love You to Death” are pretty good and play well into Eria’s style, but break up the pace of the album. The two instrumental pieces are diametrically opposed where “When It Flows” is a rambling piano piece that opens the album. In contrast, “Si Sta Come D’Autunno Sugli Alberi Le Foglie” is a bombastic epic firefight with grandiose backing choirs. It shows the instrumental prowess of the band with everyone working full tilt.
There is obviously a lot of talent in the band, but the two main forces are Scuteri’s keys and Eria’s voice. Eria has a well trained soprano range hitting some pretty high notes, but plays really well in the melodic delivery without getting hung up on showcasing high sustained notes. Her melodies pull more from classical music phrasing which give the band a somewhat antique polish. Add to that her timbre that is dripping with emotion while still delivering quality pitch, and she sounds like someone in emotional pain while trying to keep it together.
Which may be why the lyrics seem to focus on lovesickness and longing, more than I would typically enjoy even in melodic metal. Oddly enough, the one track that is a literary reference, “Si Sta Come…,” is an instrumental. The entire poem “Soldati” is the title of that track, and instead of drawing parallels between soldiers and falling leaves through lyrics, we have a bombastic instrumental.
The title track is my favorite on the album. It opens with good ol’ fashioned heavy guitar riffing. The mid-tempo opening traditional metal with symphonic accents morphs into high energy symphonic power metal replete with epic backing choirs, speedy drums and some harsh vocal accents. I like the chordal modulations and progressive elements which make it feel more like an opera than just a song. For the patient listener, this is a lot of fun and enjoyable to unpack.
The band is quite talented and play a solid symphonic power metal. There is a bit of extra padding that could have been edited out so as not to test the listener’s patience so much, but the complexity gives something for those with that patience. Although this album doesn’t differentiate too much from the crowd, I think that this is a great first recording and could be the beginning of something quite special. If you enjoy female-fronted symphonic metal, this is a release worth checking out.
Rating: 8.0/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – When It Rains
2 – Flowing Tears
3 – Lost in Your Eyes
4 – After All This Time? Always
5 – Thrown Away
6 – Undergo Deconstruction
7 – Love You to Death
8 – Si Sta Come D’Autunno Sugli Alberi Le Foglie
9 – Of Love and Sorrow
10 – Who Is to Blame
Lay of the Autumn is:
Cesare Ferrari – bass
Davide Scuteri – keyboards and songwriting
Michele Olmi – drums
Davide Lovecchio – guitars
Irina “Eria” Boyarkina – vocals
Release Date: October 25, 2024
Record Label: Rockshots Records
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify
Video for Si Sta Come D’Autunno Sugli Alberi Le Foglie
Video for After All This Time? Always
Video for Flowing Tears