This is the third album from Canadian metalcore band Arrival of Autumn, (who feature a member of Alterbeast).
Containing 39 minutes of material Kingdom Undone is an easy album to like if you were raised on 00s metalcore, yet want a modern update. To be fair, Arrival of Autumn’s sound has more older components and influences than newer ones, but that seems to have worked out for the best as the band have impressed with a very enjoyable album.
Kingdom Undone combines elements of classic NWOAHM with a more contemporary chorus-friendly melodic approach. Think a mix of Darkest Hour and Unearth, with a touch of a band like Sleep Waker thrown in for good measure. The end result is a collection of heavy tracks that merge old and new into tracks that are full of hooks.
The songs are mostly short and without padding or filler – only one exceeds the 4-minute mark. The songwriting is lean and mean. It focuses on catchy hooks, melodic cleanly sung presence, and textured heaviness. The band can clearly play, and for every crushing riff there’s a more complex display of aggression included too, which only adds to the music’s replay value.
Although polished and professional, there’s also an earthy, gritty flavour here that’s to the band’s credit. Arrival of Autumn strike the right balance between heaviness and emotion, making for an album that’s authentic and honest in feel. This applies not just to the music itself, but also to the singer, whose voice and rhythmic patterns of his harsh vocals I like a great deal. His clean vocals are delivered well, without being too sugary, and they’re not overused either.
I thoroughly liked Kingdom Undone. Avoiding the vast majority of things that make metalcore a stale, well-worn genre, Arrival of Autumn have hit the mark with this record, and I highly recommend you check it out.
Wonderbox Metal 