Band:	AX
Album:	Glare Of Autumn
Style:	Blackened doom metal
Release date:	December 2007
A review by:	Lucas

01. October Winds
02. Autumnal Equinox
03. Blood Canopy
04. Your Time To Die
05. Solstice Of Despair

"The album is a tribute to Drudkh, who has become my favourite band and has inspired me to look into nature for musical inspiration." This quotation comes from the inlay of Ax's "Glare Of Autumn" ep, and summarizes the music and the band perfectly. Everything, from the coverart to the songtitles and the music, is pure Drudkh-worship. And do we mind? Of course we don't.

Mortaeus (Envenom Ascension, Bound By Entrails), the sole member of AX, has the same 'painting landscapes' quality as his famous inspirors. Warm, soothing riffs flow gently over into each other, and the cymbals crash like a pair of feet stepping through fallen leaves. Make yourself comfortable and drift away on one of the melancholic, rich solo's, or dwell in the endless, wavering repetition of doomed riffs. "Glare Of Autumn" has it all.

All in all, it suprises me that it actually took so long with the Drudkh-offsprings. Even today, there are not that many bands that approach the sound of Drudkh, while their first full-length was released already a full five years ago. It never took Darkthrone's pronegies that long...

Sure enough, it is no "Autumn Aurora" or "Blood In Our Wells", or going even further back, not on the same level as a "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" (we must never forget the huge influence Burzum had on Drudkh). But being less than that is no crime, especially if the band in question is only a couple of years old. All eyes on the future now, I sincerely hope Mortaeus manages to preserve his freshness and high quality music.