To me this album is not particularly unique or spectacular, however it is does have a strange appeal for me, perhaps just the similarity to A Perfect Circle or some of Tools later efforts is what draws me back to this.
The CD as a whole is nicely constructed and one song flows very effectively into another especially when supplemented by the odd nice linking piece that 10 years have included which is most obvious on the tracks Cast It Out and Through The Iris and perhaps a little more cleverly used on the songs Paralyzing Kings and Prey. That being said it does result in a very linear feeling CD.
The general tone employed by 10 years on The Autumn Effect is very difficult to seperate from that of Tools, basically phases of music that build up to climaxes, anticlimaxes all resulting in a release of emotion one way or another. The instruments certainly do provide a very full sound and the production is impeccable on the CD...at least to the human ear.
Unfortunately for 10 Years this album just doesn't really bring anything new to the table - Jesse Haseks voice, while hauntingly beautiful at times and passionately aggressive at others will forever be compared with Maynard Keenans(Tool) - the whole CD lives in Tool/APCs shadow, i feel that is where this CD both live and dies. For all its commercial success the people who like this CD will both like this album for its Toolish sound, and yet despise it for the same reason. It is a as far as i am concerned a paradox - loved and hated.
It is not remarkable or original, but it is an enjoyable listen every once in a while and will captivate you for a short while, especially in the gap between any Tool/APC releases as ultimately that is what most of us really want. This will remind you of Tool/APC..it could so easily be Tool/APC.
