Album Review: Autumn Nostalgie – Metanoia

Band: Autumn Nostalgie
Album: Metanoia
Label: Northern Silence Productions
Release date: June 6th, 2025
Country: Slovakia
Format reviewed: High quality digital recording

Album Review: Autumn Nostalgie – Metanoia via Northern Silence Productions by Ioana

Autumn Nostalgie is one of the key bands in my history with the black metal genre, their debut album Esse Est Percipi still holding a special place in my heart (the final song on that album, “Epilogue” ended up being the soundtrack to many of my more vulnerable moments). That being said, when Metanoiawas announced, to say that I was excited would have been a huge understatement. Fortunately I was along the people who caught the online premiere of the album, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it was worth it. Generally, the majority pf post black metal-DSBM projects tend to end up sounding too accessible and overproduced, an aspect that manages to kill the mood instantly. However, as one can imagine, this is definitely not the case here. Obviously, Metanoiais an accessible album, no one is denying that, but the compositions are strong enough and the mood is immersive enough to counter that for the most part. Overall, I think the best word to describe this record is “tranquil”.

At a first look, Metanoia is not at all that different from the band’s previous material, and though some may take this as a lack of creativity or vision on behalf of the band, I will have to disagree in that regard. The overall sound and production don’t shift much, yes, but the compositions and songs themseleves stand out quite a lot, and prove to be rather efficient in weaving the states of mind they are meant to evoke. Despite the bouts of fast paced drumming and the overall energy exuded by the songs, the record overall has a very consistent, mellow flow, that reminds me of a stream at sunset, rippling peacefully, yet melancholically towards the valley. There is something truly organic in Autumn Nostalgie’s music, and I can’t help but feel that they’ve drawn inspiration from the sounds of nature, even though that may not be the most obvious theme in their music. There is a lot of tenderness and subtleness, particularly in the instrumentals, which, when contrasted with the screeching, over the top vocals, creates a unique blend of gentleness and suffering. And even in this state, the music is unnervingly peaceful, and I can’t help but associate it with my personal states of contemplations by the lakeside.

The main musical ideas on the album are born as slow repetitive acoustic motifs, which then are further developed by the developing layers of electric guitar, bass and drums. At times you may be able to hear very faint, barely noticeable traces of synth, that, along with the tinge of echo from the mix enrich the atmosphere even further. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the repetitive melodies and rhythms much more than I anticipated, with many of them being notoriously inventive in terms of the pattern they follow. The songs themselves are a little on the unpredictable side, containing a variety of unexpected shifts and twists, without affecting the tranquil mood in the process. The vocals are obviously a notable element of the album, as they are probably the harshest sounding aspect of the whole thing. As I’ve mentioned previously, they come in direct contrast with the gentle, meditative instrumental. Mainly comprised out of very expressive, emotion filled screeches, they end up being the biggest mark of the DSBM influence on the record. If you ever came across any of the band’s older material, the vocals will certainly ring a bell, and the fact that they haven’t changed very much since Esse Est Percipi is part of why Metanoiaended up being such a pleasant listening experience.

For some reason I never mentioned any standout tracks thus far in the review, but since my brain finally started to collaborate properly in this endeavor, I’d say now it’s the time for it. But before getting into that, I feel like there’s a few more aspects that are worth bringing up. Structurally speaking, the album is divided in two parts, separated by “Interludium”, a short track comprised out of mainly ambient textures. When compared, the second half of the album stands out more than the other, due to the fact that the expressivity and emotions conveyed on the record tend to intensify as it progesses. That being said, “Remain in the Depths of Blind Darkness” is, in my opinion, the absolute best piece onMetanoia. From the title alone one can piece together that this song is a true case of an introspecting exploration put onto music. The main musical idea is much more melancholic than anything in the first half, and even when compared to its predecessor, the title track, it still stands out as an incredibly powerful and evocative piece of music. Another standout track is “Silent Gravestones”, which was previously released as a single. I feel like the image on the album cover ended up having that specific place due to the way it can be linked to the track, but only the band themselves can talk on what inspired what. Nevertheless, “Silent Gravestones” is without a doubt a key song in the band’s discography.

I’d like to end this review by stating that this is by no stretch of imagination an album I’d recommend to everyone who happens to enjoy black metal. If you’re into the more aggressive, or simply put more standard aspects of the genre, by all means feel free to leave this album aside completely. However, I think that Metanoiais a great choice for an entry-level fan, or someone who is interested in getting into black metal. Frankly, even if, like me, you’re a huge BM nerd, and you happen to just try everything that crosses your path with the genre tag on it, go check it out. You might find yourself swept into some truly interesting reflections. 9.5/10

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