In 2012, I heard this song called “Before the Fall” by a band named September Mourning. It had a driving drum beat with heavy guitars and bass. The vocals of the female singer were gritty, deliberate and eerily soothing. It wasn’t until I saw the video that I realized that there was something more to this band. I looked for more of their music and hoped that there would be something new coming out soon. The wait for new music was longer than I had expected, but around a year ago I learned that September Mourning was, in fact, writing new material and that an EP would be released sometime in 2015. That time has come. Volume 1 was released on October 2, 2015.
With a new line-up consisting of September (Vocals), Shadou (Bass), Riven (Guitar), Wraith (Guitar), and Stitch (Drums), September Mourning was ready to begin their quest to collect souls. In early 2015, the band released the long-awaited first single off of Volume 1 entitled “Children of Fate”. The familiar heavy guitars that I fell in love with three years prior are front and center on this first single. September’s now refined vocals pierce straight into your soul as she explains how you are “hopeless” and are “reaching for nothing” while she takes you through a lyrical journey of how we are all one. “Children of Fate” was warmly received across radio stations and was played frequently on Sirius XM Octane. The YouTube video quickly pushed past the 30,000 view mark.
Fast-forward to October.
Volume 1 begins with “The Collection”, a prelude for what is to come. “The Collection” features September offering the blessed the chance to die, fall and rise together before the abrupt start of the second song, “Angels to Dust”. The balance between the dark lyrics, edgy guitars and September’s voice help to create a landscape that parallels the essence of September Mourning. September has explained previously that “the project is a story, a theatrical art piece” and this EP is clearly the musical rendition of that story. “Angels to Dust” describes the angel losing her wings while her halo burns ultimately leaving nothing behind but dust.
“Before the Fall” is a powerful tale where September pours out emotion verse after verse. She declares “The rage is burning from within, your scars I’m wearing on my skin. My fatal flaw. The weakest part of me is you.” The lyrics flow effortlessly along on this track that features highs and lows, loud and soft as well as fast and slow. A brilliantly written song from start to finish that leads the listener straight into the aforementioned “Children of Fate”. There is an unexpected introduction before “Children of Fate” but it fits in nicely with the overall vision of the EP.
“Children of Fate” leaves you feeling pretty fired up and the emotional roller coaster has no intention of slowing down. “Eye of the Storm” continues with the smashing drum beat and driving bass line that has become one of the signature sounds of September Mourning. The band explained that the song is asking you to “be strong throughout the battle to stand against any fears you might have in life knowing that you will never be left standing alone.” “Eye of the Storm” intelligently links back to the previous song and continually reminds you of the ongoing story created by September Mourning. The lyric video that the band published for the song was purposefully released just ahead of the record.
The sixth and final song on Volume 1 is a rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” that simply leaves you wanting more. September shed some light into the reasoning behind the band’s dark cover: “With dramatic dark lyrics that show glimpses of hope and redemption, I couldn’t resist a reinterpretation of this standard. It begged for a dynamic dramaticism that we couldn’t resist bringing to life.” And September Mourning certainly brought the classic hit to life! September manages to create an eerie yet sexy interpretation that simply makes you hit the repeat button.
This EP, while well-written and superbly produced, is simply too short! When each of the tracks ends, you want the next track to immediately begin. The music, as September explained, is the “backbone, but for this to work, it has to include the imagery and the narrative all symbiotically linked into the whole. Music taps into your innermost being. There’s something very intimate and personal about it.”
It works.
For more information on September Mourning, visit their Facebook page or their website.
