10 Years – The Autumn Effect / 2005 Universal / 13 Tracks / http://www.10yearsmusic.com / http://www.universal.com / Reviewed 01 August 2005

10 Years is essentially the next step in nu-rock, as tracks like “Waking Up” look back to pioneers of the movement like Disturbed and Static-X. The tracks on “The Autumn Effect” are perfectly crafted for Clearchannel radio and mTV; the euphonic sounds that emanate from this disc just make this a disc that will have massive sales. The first move away from the formula that is so prevalent on “The Autumn Effect” comes during “Cast It Out”, which really takes much of its experimentation, specifically the modification of the time signatures from System of a Down and Tool.

The disc’s first “hard rocking” track comes with “Wasteland”, but the mastering on the track seems to favor the high end of things a little too much to truly make the track succeed. What results after the band gets into the heavy, chaotic sound of the chorus is a sort of chaos that would have been avoided if the producer allowed each individual instrument to stand on its own, instead of forcing everything into a jumble. The incorporation of strings during “Seasons To Cycle” seems a little too contrived for me; far too perfect to be present on the track, the presence of these lines makes “Seasons To Cycle” a little too staged and insincere. While there are a number of tracks that do not contribute anything new to this album, there are some high spots scattered throughout the disc.

The nuanced vocals of “Through The Iris” works extraordinarily well with the hyper-distorted guitar riffs that make their home on this track. “The Autumn Effect” has a very tight grouping throughout that really ties together every track; there are not the operatic or balladic type of songs to really drag the disc down, but 10 Years really do not create many in the way of tracks on this disc that will cause hearts to beat faster in listener’s rib cages. The tracks contained within may have a nice overall sound, but really do not provide much in the way of sustenance for those listeners who absolutely need to be challenged by their music. Tracks may be created for the radio but the vast majority of those on “The Autumn Effect” are lacking a certain hookiness to them to delineate them from the tremendous amount of music crowding the airwaves at any one given time. Maybe their next album will be able to combat the lacking style of this disc.

Top Tracks: Waking Up, Through The Iris

Rating: 3.4/10