Auro - Auro (2020)

Delivering a nostalgic release from the days of simpler and yet punishing Atmospheric Black Metal, today we have Germany’s Auro and their self-titled debut release. With over 50 minutes of music, this track will bring back memories to the early days of Immortal, Satyricon, Limbonic Art and Emperor. Crafty and relentless, this release certainly has something for everybody as it is quite accessible and very well crafted.

Opening after the traditional atmospheric intro, “Im Nebelland” delivers sinister riffs and hellish snarls as it unleashes fury alongside intense drumming and a very hectic pace. Tracks like “Ouroboros - Schuppengott”, “Brodelnde Wasser - Rufe und Zeichen” and “Rammbock - Durchbruch zur Entmenschlichung” deliver that old-school rawness thanks to its down-to-the-basics instrumentation and very subtle atmospherics, focusing on organic melody and brutality.

As one of our favorite tracks, “Vision - Das allsehende Auge” perfectly navigates that trade-off between melody and relentless intensity. We particularly enjoy how well the subtle keyboards add to the atmosphere while unleashing pummeling onslaughts of great intensity. Usually underappreciated and mixed very low, the bass guitar in this release plays an important part as the pulse of the band’s musical backbone, as you can hear in the crafty songs “Von Flammentod und Wiederkehr” and “Aura”.

Unleashing a pummeling and yet melodic aural experience, Auro’s debut release is quite intense and engaging. While you can hear the influences of a plethora of bands, this outfit manages to carve their own style and never sounds like a copy of somebody else. If you like old-school Black Metal filled with epic headbanging passages and intense vocals, look no further and get a copy of this release.

Label: Obscure Abhorrence Productions

Release: November 22nd, 2020

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Germany