The Autumn Clan was founded in September 1997 by Jens Peter Hermann (vocals, guitar), Franky Baumann (guitar), Christian Baumann (drums) and Erik Kostron (bass). Each of them had band experience and thus the songwriting could begin.
The style was somewhere between gothic and black metal, enriched by elements of all other metal genres. Her first stage appearance at a band contest showed already the potential of Autumn Clan and with the succeeding gigs (e.g. as support for Joachim Witt and Darkside) the band could catch a regular fanbase.
1998 saw the first line-up-change: Kiri followed bass player Erik and brought some fresh spirit to the band.
1999 Autumn Clan took the 2nd place (among 150 bands) in the final of the Austrian Band Contest. Quote organisator Planet Music: "With their songs and their stage performance, the four guys stand in the tradition of bands like Type O Negative or Dimmu Borgir. No wonder, that this exclusive mix of metal styles fascinates not only their fans, but the whole crowd." Thus the first labels and producers get aware of the band, while the band plays live at the Donauinselfest in Vienna and as support for DAS ICH.
In January 2000 Autumn Clan were in studio for the first time - in Cooperation with NSM-Records. Their first demo "Styrian Demo(-n)" was recorded in Hacienda Studio (Darkside, Floodland) and sold 500 times during the next month. In summer the band got in contact with producer Boban Milunovic - they recorded their 2. Demo-CD in his Boom-Room-Studios.
In the beginning of 2001 drummer Christian left the band, to be replaced by Markus "Mexx" Kicker, former drummer of the death-metal-band "Black Prophecy".
The 3rd Demo-CD "2001 - Above us endless space" was recorded in self-production, got a good review in the Hammer Demozone and was sold out within 4 month. Musicwise the wonderful, clean voice of frontman jens was now in the limelight.
Autumn Clan rock very straight and metal-based, the band finally succeeded in finding their own sound. At the end of the year the band was invited to play support for IN EXTREMO in Austria. Only little time later the new rising label W.A.B. records (Austria) signed the band in January 2002. The debut album "Requiem To The Sun" was recorded in the Boom-Room-Studios with producer Boban Milunovic (Evenfall, Belphegor, Stygma IV, Schneiderberg, Jack Frost) in March, and mastered in the Cutting-Room of Hakan Akesson in Sweden.
