Paradise Nox was a clear favorite for the opening slot of Autumn’s latest chapter from the early stages of the writing process. Despite its great diversity of musical landscapes and its many twists and turns, this song bulldozes straight for its targets, being: making a musical statement of what the listener can expect from Altitude and clearing a path for the introduction of the enchanting voice of Marjan Welman. Paradise Nox deals with twilight, confusion, nostalgia, loss and making definitive choices.

Liquid Under Film Noir reads like a series of quotes from an incoherent diary fraught with obsession, arson, irreversible loss, guilt, regret and ultimately madness, found near a burnt down black and white film studio by the starring detective. Music about a film in a film.

Skydancer was written to express the euphoric feeling of a dream about flying, real as life. To defy the laws of gravity and see the world from a bird’s eye perspective, with the music to accompany you. The kind of dream you’d never want to wake up from. Not easy to describe in word nor music. We hope we managed…

Synchro-Minds tells the story of a strong connection between two people of different nationalities that have many things in common. The music follows the gradual buildup in tension that ensues from their first meeting, through their first parting to the lasting contact over a great distance. They decide to remain ‘synchro-minded’ and, because they’re worlds apart, not to romanticize their relationship. A wonderfully mature decision.

The Heart Demands is a grooving, slightly rushing song about the way modern man lives his life. Lyrically, it’s a follow-up to Satellites off the My New Time album in a way. Haste has got a firm grip on us. Our jobs have got us running, because we collectively accept it. But if you think about it, who’s really dictating our pace? We’re on the run, crippling ourselves in pursuit of happiness.
The song’s bridge is a musical and lyrical moment of contemplation. In our illusion of haste and ambition, years have flown past. We haven’t stopped to think long enough about the things that make life worth living and there’s a gaping hole in our feelings and recollections. In a way, we have deceived ourselves and each other. Maybe it’s time for a step back and a look around.

A Minor Dance is a musical journey of discovery and that’s exactly what the lyrics are about. It’s a real life ghost story. Mats: “I was on Holiday at a cottage, alone in the middle of nowhere. One evening, a giant thunderstorm came rolling at me from the other side of the lake. It got really intense and lightning struck in or near the cottage. It blew the fuses, the lights went out and apart from the lightning, it was pitch black. All of a sudden an antique radio came to life and the cottage was filled with beautiful, enchanting music. It turned out to be a radio station playing music from the first 40 years of last century. Beautiful! I lit some candles and didn’t change the fuses that night.’ The song takes its time to draw to a close and demands several listening sessions before revealing its secrets…

Cascade (For A Day)’s laidback groove and warm, soothing vocals offer a relaxing moment to catch one’s breath halfway through the album. Lyrically, it brings across a positive feeling: how a single day can make a world of difference, shine an entirely different light on things. Everything’s alright. Even if it may only last for that one day.

Horizon Line. A song with a seemingly positive vibe to it, but with an eerie gut feeling lurking beneath. The lyrics bring across a kind of carelessness: drawing one’s own plans, losing oneself in that significant other and taking no notice whatsoever of the world around. As the song progresses however, doubt about warnings that were brushed aside starts to rear its ugly head: does the chosen path really lead to a happy ending? Since all bridges were burnt along the way, there’s no alternative but to continue on the road towards the pitch black horizon and to hope that the new day will prove those worries wrong. But the intense musical end to the song makes you fear the worst…

Sulphur Rodents is a bitter song, lyrically: an expression of anger and sheer disappointment. Spitting out at someone who is so close to you that he or she is underneath your skin, swimming through your blood and at the same time eating you up from the inside. The ones most dear and close to you often end up being the ones that are able to hurt you the most and to bring out the very worst in you. Sulphur Rodents is the first song bassist Jerome wrote for the band and immediately claims the title Most Raw and Venomous Song in Autumn’s repertoire. It is also the most down-tuned Autumn song ever; in this song we tune the guitars to A. We could do this because the song is driven by the power-chords and not so much by complex harmonies that would disappear in the down-tuned mud. Because the songs opens in D, the lower B flat and A chords come somewhat as a surprise and give a real lower-region strength to the song. This approach also creates a little extra room for the keyboard lines.

Answers Never Questioned is Paradise Nox’s musical and lyrical counterpart. It depicts the same situation but from the other person’s point of view. Two individuals with entirely different standpoints and interpretations of the same story. Has the character in Paradise Nox made up his mind in time or will the walls of his house remain forever cold and has his fireplace seen fire for the last time? ANQ opens the door for closing chapter Altitude.

Altitude, both album and song, is a dynamic rollercoaster of various musical atmospheres and styles. Where opening track Paradise Nox gave a powerful introduction to the album, Altitude in turn offers a fitting summary and a closing statement with the exclamation mark that the album is craving. The song’s working title was Icarus and the lyrics bear a strong resemblance to that saga. The pride and overconfidence of flying high, expecting to be able to ascend effortlessly from the world to the sun. Followed by the inevitable reality: being planted violently back on the ground, with both feet. Skydancer’s euphoria meets the sobering prospects of Horizon Line and a lyrical theme dawns…

Copyright: Autumn 2009

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