An Autumn For Crippled Children is an interesting mixture of depressive, atmospheric black metal and some doom and post rock elements. With great recent releases by Svarti Loghin, Semen Datura and now these guys, the ATMF label seems to have a knack for finding creative and unique black metal bands that push the boundaries of the genre.

The music on Lost is all about creating a bleak, mournful atmosphere, but with some warmth injected here and there in the form of vibrant, reverb-laden doomy leads. The band mostly sticks to a very fuzzy and distorted black metal sound, much like Xasthur or Velvet Cacoon, but the difference between An Autumn For Crippled Children and other similar acts is the prevalence of sorrowful, doomy minor key harmonies that give the music an additional poignancy. Agalloch and older Katatonia are good reference points, not necessarily for how the album sounds but for the mood it creates.

It takes awhile for the songs on this album to begin to differentiate themselves and make an impression, but gradually you begin to notice all the elements that make up Lost. An Autumn For Crippled Children will often abruptly transition from densely atmospheric black metal to quieter sections and all-out doom passages reminiscent of bands like Daylight Dies. It may seem a bit jolting at first, but the two genres are perfect complements for one another and just add to the bleak atmosphere of this album.

Fans of depressive, atmospheric black metal and especially Agalloch fans should definitely give this album a listen. With the odd band name and the interesting, creepy cover art I wasn’t sure quite what to expect out of these guys, but their first album is certainly an enjoyable one and one of the more surprising albums I’ve encountered this year.

» Buy Lost from Amazon.com