Dutch female-fronted band Autumn is back with its second album for Metal Blade Records. Altitude follows 2007's My New Time and the main difference this time around is new vocalist Marjan Welman, who is most known for her appearance on Ayreon's album 01011001. She replaces Nienke de Jong, who I thought was a rising talent on My New Time. Autumn is not your average female-led, gothic metal band. They blend other genres like rock and alternative, creating somber songs that are just on the cusp of being commercial, but retain that indie-type quality. They sound similar to fellow Dutch band The Gathering (before they turned completely alternative). Welman's soprano vocals are like The Gathering's Anneke van Giersbergen's. It's actually hard to even remember what Autumn's previous vocalist sounded like after hearing her. What was her name? Yeah, I think the band made a good choice.

Songs often start off with a bang, then simmer down while Welman breaks for softer moments, then pick back up again. During the heavier parts, her voice soars, yet she doesn't have a wide range. This actually helps with the solemn vibe of the album. The guitars are heavy and in-your-face on songs like “Skydancer” and “Paradise Nox” and even if you are thinking otherwise, make no mistake, these guys rock; they easily can be classified as a metal band.

Altitude's lyrical theme is deep. The songs all tie together with a running theme of lifting oneself above life and taking a moment to look down on it all. Because of it's poetic nature, Altitude has a melancholy feel, even if the songs don't always necessarily reflect it.

Autumn seems poised to make a splash in the female-fronted metal scene; too bad they now have about two dozen other popular and established acts to contend with. Maybe they can help fill the void left by Anneke van Giersbergen's departure from The Gathering. It's hard to see just where they fit in the grand scheme of things, but good music finds ways to be heard.