While it might seem like the battle for dominance over the springing Danish screamo scene is getting more crowded, Odense-based Escaping Autumn are not to be mistaken for a new act. They have actually been buzzing around the underground for about three years, polishing their skills, taking their time before recently releasing their first EP "Can't Bury Waves" via iTunes.
The first thing to characterize Escaping Autumn by is their seeming overabundance of musical ambition, especially when compared to their Danish contemporaries like Knife Of Liberty or Trusted Few, who play it a bit safer by sticking to the formulas of their inspirations. The band has three distinct main elements: subtle but complex indie/emo melodic parts, The Fall Of Troy-ish guitar-frenzied screamo parts and a profound sense for the anthemic that would make bands like Finch damn proud. While you might not find grounds for an 'ambitious' label in those three traits, it oozes from every layer and transition present in the impressive songwriting.
And speaking of transitions, those are what's bound to tickle your mind while listening to this EP, because most of the time they're just downright dodgy. Escaping Autumn will almost inevitably throw a spastic screamed breakdown in your face every time you expect a pretty chorus, and amp up the melodic singing every time you're just about ready for all hell to break loose. Just check out the opener "I Grew Mountains In My Mouth" and notice how the song totally self-destructs right at the point where the clean sung verse had established a melody for you to hold on to. At first you'll be bewildered, then you'll be impressed and then you'll be in love.
"Trying To Write A Symphony" is a perfect showcase of everything the band has to offer, clocking in at 6:13 and giving you both quiet parts with heartfelt singing, massive breakdowns, growling, and an awesome climax in the form of a building refrain, based on a retardedly catchy (guitar?) effect. The immediate highlight of the record, though, is without a doubt "Story Of A Madman", where the band leaves the most room for their soaring anthemic guitar playing to grow, and unhindered by more than controlled bursts of the otherwise omnipresent fits of destructiveness, vocalist Sigurd really gets to show that there's more to him than screaming. The Daryl Palumbo-parallel PP drew in an earlier live-review of the band is certainly justified, which can especially be heard when Sigurd changes his voice from singing to hysterical screaming in the middle of the same note. Screaming that sounds far from the technical throat-proficiency of many recognised screamo-outfits, and rather makes you think that this guy's vocal cords don't have a long way to go. Here's to hoping that's not true.
As for the proposed Glassjaw reference, I'm actually leaning more towards comparing Escaping Autumn to Finch, courtesy of both their great sense for melody and their manic scream sessions. Just listen to the opening of closer "Like John Wayne: Bitter", and tell me that the noise-fest doesn't remotely remind you of "What It Is To Burn"'s "Project Mayhem".
Whatever you choose to align Escaping Autumn with though, one thing remains certain: while it's a MUST-HEAR for everyone into following the Danish emo/screamo/hardcore scenes, it's also highly recommendable for screamo fans in general. I might not be as gracious with my grades and nominations as our dear editor PP, but let me assure you that "Can't Bury Waves" easily surpasses anything he's yet nominated for "Best Screamo Act of Denmark". Why am I not giving them a higher grade then? Well while they might punch all the right keys in terms of attitude and ambition, there's still room for them to grow in terms of compositions and production levels, and I'm going to leave that room open for coming releases. Which I'm now looking much forward to.
[7½]
Written by: Tim Larsen on 29/9-08 www.rockfreaks.net
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Many people have been asking us how to get our new EP 'Throes Of The Wretched", here is how to do so: -The EP is released in the UK via Foot & Mouth Records, so UK citizens must purchase the EP here:
På Tirsdag d. 2. December spiller jeg med Last Chance To Make Franz Camp Happydance på Den Smagløse Café i Odense kl. 22. Vi spiller to sæt af 45 min. Fri Entré og nye numre.
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