Review: Autumn Strife - Romance (2026)

Introduction

Now i’m sure most of you maniacs have been listening to black metal over the years and thought to themselves “hey why isnt there more 20th century american ragtime era black metal for me to waltz to”. Fortunately in 2026 Autumn Strife hears your haunting cries of lamentation and takes you straight into the complex yet beautiful world on their latest album Romance. 

Romance 

Tracklist:

1. For All Time 

2. Chicago 

3. The Ohio Step 

4. In Golden Brown Hue 

5. Lamentations 

6. Futility 

7. The Grand Piano 

8. Midwest Glory 

Rumination

On Romance, Autumn strife has taken their patented “midwestern black metal” sound and focused it on the nightlife of the well to do. The artwork conveys pretty much exactly how it sounds.

Riffs? They got em? Good production? This album knocks what its going for out of park. Highlight of the album has to be the song “The Ohio Step” Every part of that track works and sounds sick as hell. But its honestly pretty much solid from start to finish.

Honestly, this album is just such a fcking winner to me dude. I loved the Adorn release that came out last year which is probably the closest thing i can relate it to. This release though i dunno, its so hard to pin this one down if you dont get it. It has this ability to be tough while also not trying too hard to be. Its honestly miraculous how this release balances being KVLT with actually being really pretty sounding and unique. Like it just has a real set of balls to it given the subject matter. If you listen to a project like vothana or some of the more hooligan-ey stuff from Flaming Ouroborous, imagine that triumphant sound but instead of military/knight music you swapped it out with the collective experience of a community and all of its weird f*cked up characters, united against rest the world. Thats what Romance to me sounds like. 

Concept wise and soundwise Its just so deeply original compared to a lot of rawer stuff and as cringe as it is to say that a release “transports” you to a different time, this album feels like it has such a innate knowledge of that smokey ballroom era of midwestern music that it feels like having this wonderful ancient knowledge handed down to you. Its like digging through the estate of your dead grandfathers house and learning how people spoke through the letters he sent to your grandma, its honestly hard not to feel some of that energy come into your heart. 

Conclusion

Autumn Strife is a project that i’m pretty sure will be on everyones radar in the underground once they’re smart enough to get it. Till then enjoy this band in all of its evil Midwestern glory.

BMZ Rating: 9/10 

Support the band here:

Autumn Strife - Romance, by Autumn Strife

8 track album

OBSCURANT VISIONSMichael Hojjatie

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