Black Autumn

Black Autumn is a German atmospheric and depressive black metal group from Hemer, Dortmund, active since 1995. It is a one-man project of Michael Krall, although it begins as a two-member band. The project takes in black metal, doom metal and dark ambient elements, and is associated with suicidal black metal as well as atmospheric black metal.

Early years and line-up

The project forms around 1995 with the aim of playing black metal in the style of Emperor, Satyricon and Ulver. Early recordings are delayed until 1998 because of a lack of proper equipment. Those first recordings feature Michael Krall and TH. After the first material, TH leaves because of musical differences, leaving Krall as the sole member.

Recordings and releases

Black Autumn first appears with a self-titled demo, followed by Cult of Nihil. A split CDR with the Italian black metal band Abyss comes before the debut album Ecstasy, Nightmare, Doom, which appears in 2007 on ISO666 Releases. The album combines black metal with ambient passages and a bleak, desolate atmosphere.

In 2008 the project releases Rivers Of Dead Leaves, which includes the track “Ophelia”. The album centres on the Shakespeare character Ophelia and the painting by Sir John Everett Millais. Later releases include Aurora 'Morgen Rothe Im Auffgang', Ghosts At Our Windows, The Advent October, Losing The Sun, and Rauhnacht. The discography also includes the split Black Autumn & Veldes and the EPs Rauhnacht MMXV and Rauhnacht MMXVI, as well as demos such as Isolation and End.

Style and themes

The project’s music develops from black metal into a more atmospheric form that includes doom, ambient, post-rock and ambient electronica. Later material is described as drawing on the writings of the German mystic Jakob Boehme, extending ideas already present on Rivers Of Dead Leaves.

Labels

Black Autumn releases material through a wide range of labels and imprints, including ISO666 Releases, Abridged Pause Recordings, Antichristian Front Records, Asiluum Arts, Bylec-Tum Productions, Cain Records, Cursed Monk Records, Depressive Illusions Records, Droning Earth Records, Eyes of the Dead Productions, Heyst Productions, Insikt, Kassetten Edition Dreizack, Made With Hate Records, Naturmacht Productions, Nostalgia Productions, Obscure Abhorrence Productions, Rain Without End Records and Skeksis Netlabel Project.