The work of musician Matheus Vidor, Autrest is a relatively recent solo project, with its first demo released in 2022, followed by the album Follow The Cold Path, reviewed here on VM-Underground. Two years after this debut effort, Autrest returns with a new offering of eight tracks spanning over 40 minutes.
We are presented with epic and melodic Black Metal, still backed by the relatively melancholic direction that made the first album so compelling. The first thing that strikes the listener is the excellent overall cohesion; as a whole, the album flows effortlessly from start to finish as an indivisible piece. We are immersed in a sort of impenetrable forest, escaping our modern era and daily life for a while. Matheus Vidor brilliantly brings his vision and musical universe to life through intricate compositions that are both accessible and detailed enough to warrant repeated listens.
The combination of guitar lines and keyboards is, to me, the key element of the band’s music. It is the backbone upon which everything rests. The guitars provide the natural aggressiveness of Black Metal, while the keyboards weave the epic and autumnal atmosphere of this release. The rhythm section, though playing a supporting role, is very much present, particularly through well-highlighted basslines throughout the album. The vocals are maybe the less impressive part in the sense that it is really in the background of the mix. Though that aesthetic works very well with that kind of music. It is just that it feels a little bit generic.
The melodies transport us into an environment stripped of any modern elements, deep within the woods, encouraging us to engage in self-introspection. Autrest succeeds perfectly in creating the conditions for this metaphysical meditation without forgetting that it plays Black Metal (certain passages, like the beginning of ‘Forsaken’, deliver just the right amount of power to literally lift the listener).
The track ‘Ruins Of The Lost’ alone captures the essence of Autrest’s music: personal melodic, melancholic, and pagan Black Metal that relies more on the balance of its various elements than on pure aggression or easy melodies. No, Autrest operates on a completely different level, it is an initiatory and musical journey from which one returns soothed, thanks to its evocative power.
This second album is a great success that makes you want to dive deeper into the band’s discography while patiently awaiting a potential third album.
