LAY OF THE AUTUMN are a newly formed band from Milan, Italy. The symphonic Power Metal band release their debut full-length album. “Of Love And Sorrow” has a length of more than 54 minutes. The album was released via Italian label Rockshots Records, which has many Heavy, Power, and symphonic Metal bands among their current roster. The album starts with the atmospheric, piano-driven, two-minutes intro “When It Rains”, transitioning slowly into “Flowing Tears”, which eventually develops into an epic Power Metal track at mid-tempo with thunderous guitar riffs, a lot of double-bass drumming, and very prominent orchestrations led by the strings. The vocals are clean and vary between the medium and higher end of the vocal range. The melodies are catchy, especially during the chorus parts. There are tempo switches throughout the track, from mid-tempo to up-tempo, and there are also a couple of slower breaks. Finally, the track ends with the atmospheric piano sequence of the opening track. “Lost In Your Eyes” starts with an extended guitar and keyboard part at a fast pace, leading into the mid-tempo verse part, driven by the vocals and powerful guitar riffing. The vocals utilize many higher pitched notes. There are prominent orchestral arrangements driven by the strings. Main contributor is the keyboard, which delivers the main melody of the track. Besides the symphonic Metal inspirations, there are many Power Metal vibes throughout, with plenty of double-bass drumming, and a very contributing lead guitar solo.

“Lost In Your Eyes” is one of the album highlights. “After All This Time? Always” opens with the piano, joined by the strings and the vocals. The track develops into a slow song with thunderous guitar riffs at a measured tempo. The chorus parts have epic melodies, and the choruses are intensified by background vocals. As the track goes by, the guitars drive the track forward and the highlight is the contributing lead guitar solo.  “After All This Time? Always” is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Thrown Away” starts, after a short piano intro, with tight guitar riffing and double-bass drumming at mid-tempo. The melodies are easy-to-listen too and the choruses are almost anthemic. A rare feature of the track is the male growling vocal contribution during the bridge. The orchestral arrangements are notable throughout, but most prominent during the chorus parts. On top of this all are the vocals of Irina Eria Boyarkina, who keeps the track expertly together. “Thrown Away” is another album highlight. “Undergo Deconstruction” has a strong start with the guitars leading into an extended string-driven part at fast pace. The track develops finally into a mid-tempo track with thunderous riffing and very versatile vocals with many high notes being utilized. There is more complexity in the song structure compared to other tracks, which is most evident during its middle part. The extended break is first driven by the piano, the strings, and the vocals, while later, lead guitar and keyboard solos are added. “Love You To Death” starts with the piano, the strings, and the vocals. The vocals utilize pre-dominantly higher notes. While the first half of the track surely fits the bill for a ballad, which includes the powerful guitar riffs at a measured tempo during the middle part of the track, the riffing during the break is more aggressive at a higher tempo. The melodies of the track are dark and epic during the choruses.

“Si Sta Come D’Autunno Sugli Alberi Le Foglie” has a fast start with tight guitar riffing and a lot of double-bass drumming. Both create the base of the track, while the keyboard delivers a solo. It is an instrumental with the melodies being neo-classical inspired at times. There are orchestral arrangements in the background as well as a choir. Keyboards and guitars work fine together with either the keyboard or the guitars on top of the track. The title track “Of Love And Sorrow” is very melodic and played at mid-tempo. The riffing is tight and direct, there are a few double-bass attacks, and the strings provide an additional layer in the background. The vocals are versatile with a few tonal shifts towards higher notes. The melodies are dark, which is mostly evident during the beginning of the break. The break is the most epic part of the track with the orchestra at full swing leading into a keyboard solo, followed by a very contributing lead guitar solo. The album finishes with the track “Who Is To Blame”. It is a mixture of mid-tempo during the verse parts and fast tempo during the chorus parts. The riffing is once more, tight and direct. There is a lot of double-bass drumming during the fast chorus parts, where the melodies are catchy and almost anthemic. “Who Is To Blame” is another album highlight and a good way to end the album.

LAY OF THE AUTUMN deliver an interesting debut album. “Of Love And Sorrow” is somewhere in the middle between symphonic Metal and Power Metal. It comes with many traditional Power Metal features, while orchestrations and keyboards are very prominent at every track. The vocals keep all this very well together and give the album an extra dimension. The album is well produced. While I see still room for improvement in songwriting, I think LAY OF THE AUTUMN set an early marker in their career and symphonic and Power Metal fans will dig their debut album.