It’s not really easy out there being a female fronted metal band. Sure, they’re totally accepted and all, but it’s still polarizing, and hard to break through to extreme metallers when you basically sound like LITA FORD fronting a mid-tempo groove metal band, for example, which is the sort of unique crooning sonic that END OF SEPTEMBER lay down with much skill here. I love the unique guitar work this Scandinavian band throw out there on this debut (see the excellent ‘Silence’), and the songwriting chops are nailed tight: every song here is radio-ready, and while it may not appeal to those who like it hard and heavy, it will definitely go over well with the frilly shirts, the sensitive dudes who like NIGHTWISH, EVANESCENCE or IN THIS MOMENT (not that I have any idea who those dudes are, but I assume they exist), and maybe some mainstream types, should this music ever reach their ears. A very well done 36 minutes for fans of the sound (which, to summarize, is slick, concise, emoting mainstream hard rock/metal, with sung vocals and just enough personality and variety in the songs), and maybe even a good gateway band for stubborn metal dudes who think CANNIBAL CORPSE is as romantic as it gets. Well… probably not, but it’s an interesting thought.
