Autumn

Autumn is a Dutch gothic metal band from Groningen, active since 1995. The group sits within the Dutch gothic metal scene and is also associated with doom metal, symphonic metal and female-fronted metal.

Background

The band forms in 1995 and becomes part of the growing gothic metal movement in the Netherlands. Its line-up includes Meindert Sterk, Menno Terpstra, Jan Grijpstra, Nienke de Jong, Jasper Koenders, Jens Van Der Valk, Mats van der Valk, Jan Munnik, Jerome Vrielink, Marjan Welman, Maurice van der Es and Ronald Landa. Jens van der Valk and Mats van der Valk are among the members named in connection with the band’s later work, and Marjan Welman takes over vocal duties from Nienke de Jong.

Albums and development

Autumn’s debut album, When Lust Evokes the Curse, appears in 2002 and brings the band wider attention alongside Dutch genre peers such as Within Temptation and After Forever. The follow-up, Summer’s End in 2004, shows a more mature direction and a gradual move beyond the limits of gothic rock. My New Time follows in 2007 and continues that shift with a stronger and more focused sound.

Altitude appears in 2009 and marks a change in vocal line-up, with Marjan Welman replacing Nienke de Jong. The band’s fifth full-length album, Cold Comfort, arrives in 2011 as its third release for Metal Blade Records. Autumn describes the album as especially personal and meaningful, and it places more emphasis on a broader, more progressive approach while keeping the band’s guitar-based heavy rock roots.

Live work and touring

Autumn plays at a number of major festivals, including Dynamo, Lowlands, Waldrock, Fields of Rock, Metal Female Voices Fest, Summerbreeze, M’Era Luna and Wacken. It also supports bands such as Cradle of Filth and Within Temptation on national and international tours, while also undertaking numerous headline tours in the Netherlands.

Sound and themes

The band’s later work develops toward a more open and transparent sound, with a stronger focus on individual song structure and contrast. Autumn records in a way that values emotion and impact over technical perfection, and some takes are kept for their feel even when they are rougher in execution. On Cold Comfort, the lyrics centre on difficult times, uncertainty and the need to move forward, even as the music is built from a more positive and progressive creative process.