An Autumn For Crippled Children - Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love review
| Band: | An Autumn For Crippled Children |
| Album: | Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love |
| Style: | Post-rock, Shoegaze, Atmospheric black metal |
| Release date: | November 2013 |
01. Autumn Again
02. The Woods Are On Fire
03. Never Complete
04. Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love
05. Hearts Of Light
06. Sepia Mountains For Her Lament
07. Closer
08. Avoiding Winter
09. Starlit Spirits
I don't know if you guys have been paying attention, but in case you haven't noticed around here, An Autumn For Crippled Children is becoming quite the household name. They aren't exactly the most renowned band on the planet, but they are certainly making strides.
It helps that the music doesn't suck. Man that would... suck.
As is typical of the "blackgaze" movement, Try Not to Destroy Everything You Love is an album filled with atmosphere. Its dreamy shoegaze passages dominate the mix, seamlessly steering each song into the next, blending an entire collection of stories together to make up one beautiful mosaic of sorts.
While these Dutchmen have aimed to create some of the most melancholic sounds known to the genre, this release also manages to exude an uplifting vibe. The melodies are not drastically different than those found on their debut, yet they instill a more noticeable warmth in the listener, as if welcoming them to partake in the emotional journey.
The traditional fuzzy production encompasses the songs with a sweltering blanket, wrapping up every nuance from head to toe. This soothing texture makes for a relaxing, almost energizing listen. It may lean towards the more depressive side of things at face value, but there is an inviting quality to the music that slowly draws you in with a hint of optimism - starting from the delicate cover art. Muffled, just like everything else, are the tormented shrieks of a passionate black metal vocalist, which take on their own welcoming role due to the oven-like production.
This album is designed for those who primarily enjoy their extreme metal not so extreme, or more specifically, those who appreciate non-abrasive, atmospheric forms of black metal.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 10 |
 | Written on 22.11.2013 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for. |
Comments
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Comments: 46
Visited by: 329 users
| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419  |
Quote: and of course the album title : Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love
---- The Fangirl.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by angel. on 22.11.2013 at 18:05 The song titles are just as bittersweet. There are a lot of things this band does that come across as simultaneously depressive and hopeful.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 22.11.2013 at 18:08 Definitely as you said my first impression on their sound was : bittersweet tone. And it was actually the first one by them that I heard.
---- The Fangirl.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by angel. on 22.11.2013 at 18:11 Not to discredit this album in any way, but I'd highly recommend their first two albums as well. I think they offer a bit more variation and originality since the band members were just experimenting with a new(ish) style.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Mercy Seller Posts: 3  |
Good review. I should get around to checking these guys out, from what you've described they're right up my alley.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 22.11.2013 at 18:15 their song titles and artworks had already attracted me to them, and by what you said, I would surely check them out. 
---- The Fangirl.
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| Monolithic ♠♠♠ Posts: 668  |
Sounds a little more accessible than their previous efforts. I do miss their experimental works but this album will do the job for me.
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Elite Posts: 5941  |
I'm not really much of a fan of blackgaze, sometimes it feels as though it's pussifying the genre of black metal and taking the ballz out of it  I do trust your recs though, I'm checking out this album now and it actually does have enough of a balance between melodic and harsh to keep me satisfied. This track in particular is pretty win.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.11.2013 at 19:04 I've been listening to this genre far less than before, and pretty much for the same reasons. I'm all for a little bite but when the extremity is completely taken out of the mix I just can't focus. Even if the balance isn't a perfect 50-50, there still needs to be a significant amount of abrasion for me to enjoy what I'm hearing.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.11.2013 at 19:04 yeah that's a great pick from that album, I'm not into so called pussified side of the genre of black metal either, for example I don't enjoy Alcest at all, but regardless of the tags and genres, this one stands out, pussified, shoegaze, or plain black metal with ball crushing sound  it's quite enjoyable record anyway 
---- The Fangirl.
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Elite Posts: 5941 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 22.11.2013 at 19:06 I think it's just important as far as sticking to the aesthetic of the genre is concerned. Black metal to me began as something of a challenge to convention, I think the core ideology behind it is flipping prevailing norms on their head and then celebrating doing so. It should be more about challenging people with new ideas and knocking them out of their comfort zones, not making the music more accessible and relatable. But that's just my two cents
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.11.2013 at 19:16 A worthy two cents, if you ask me. I think we have the same philosophy in regards to black metal, which sometimes makes it challenging for me to simply look at the more dainty black metal releases without that bias.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Guest on 22.11.2013 at 19:23 I'm still trying not to.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2641  |
Listening to this album a lot, and I think I love it as much as Everything, they do great stuff with the subtle melodies and the pop-y piano/keyboards. track 2 is probably my favorite from the album. nice review, and welcome back again
---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by InnerSelf on 22.11.2013 at 19:24 I've listened to this album about half-a-dozen times and still haven't managed to pick a favorite track. Maybe "Avoiding Winter", I dunno. And thanks! It's nice to be back.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| euronymous Posts: 71  |
Troy bigboy welcome back to review.. I listened some times this album. I have no opinion yet. The track who i distinctive is ''the woods are on fire''. Albums like this need minimum 7-10 listens. Keep listening and discovering boy
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| Tristus Scriptor Rancid Reviewer Posts: 293  |
Great, informative, and refreshing review, Troy. I actually kinda expected the new material from this class act to sound quite like you described. So I will be looking into this. I especially like how you described that seemingly paradoxical uplifting/depressive atmosphere and vibe. I have this on my list of newies to get into now.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Tristus Scriptor on 22.11.2013 at 20:07 The best part about this is that it's streaming in full on Bandcamp.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Erik M. Posts: 3104  |
Good review. Never heard of these guys, but this seems like my cup of tea.
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| Zap Guest Posts: 3517  |
I like this band, but I hate their name. Didn't know they had a new one out, will check it out asap.
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| Tristus Scriptor Rancid Reviewer Posts: 293 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 22.11.2013 at 20:26 Excellent!
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Zap on 22.11.2013 at 22:25 nothing is wrong with their name.
---- The Fangirl.
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| Kuroboshi Posts: 1168  |
Welcome back Troy. I was really disappointed by their last year effort. Hope this one is better.
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| Draugen Posts: 499  |
Huh, I totally missed that this album was released. Seeing as I found Only the Ocean Knows highly enjoyable last year, I will definatively check this out. Welcome back Troy!
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| no one Account deleted |
no one
Account deleted Written by Kuroboshi on 23.11.2013 at 01:34 so you would say "Only the Ocean Knows" is the worst album?
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| Kuroboshi Posts: 1168 |
Written by Guest on 23.11.2013 at 03:30 Well, it's okay musically, but it didn't "say" anything to me, if you know what you mean. Their first two are better, songs like "Rain," hell yeah! I rarely listen to them anymore though.
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| Zap Guest Posts: 3517 |
Written by angel. on 22.11.2013 at 23:40 Maybe, but I still hate it 
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| CyberSymphony Ollie Posts: 673  |
The review has got me interested, gonna listen to this right away.
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