ISON - Aurora (2021)

Unleashing one of the most dreamy and melancholic releases of 2021, today we have ISON with “Aurora”. After the departure of original vocalist Heike Langhans, many of us were concerned about what direction (If any) this project from Daniel Änghede would take. Instead of finding a new singer, ISON enlisted eight unique singers from different bands/projects around the world to bring additional life to its very ethereal music. The result is one hell of an album that any fan of the band will certainly love.

The sidereal journey commences with the dreamy opening of “Jupiter”, as the track progresses distorted guitars lead the way alongside Vila’s dreamy vocals. Signaling things to come, this track sets a very hypnotic mood that is continued with the drony opening of “Waves” and the sultry vocals of Cammie Gilbert. Filled with emotive arrangements and a mellow pace, the album title track brilliantly combines Lisa Cuthbert’s vocals alongside Daniel’s in a very.

Tucked in the ‘middle’ of this release, we have the standout tracks “Meridian” and “Celestial”, featuring Sylvaine and Gogo Melone respectively. While “Meridian” is more along the Post-Rock/Shoegaze side, and “Celestial” has a doomier edge, both tracks are perfectly fitted for each of the singer's vocal styles, creating very effective and engaging pieces of music. Continuing in doomy territories, “Retrograde” delivers a beautiful duet with Carline Van Roos.

Before the end, “Penumbra” introduced us to the beautiful vocals of circle&wind, making us instant fans of her work, and “Aquarian'' with Tara Vanflower closes with more of that intoxicating doomy/ethereal vibe. As a whole, “Aurora” is a very powerful release filled with brilliant atmospheric music that is nicely accented by lush vocal arrangements. As one of the highlights of 2021 for fans of dreamy and highly atmospheric music, ISON definitely did not disappoint with this release.

Label: Avantgarde Music

Release: June 25th, 2021

Genre: Atmospheric/Post-Rock/Metal

Country: Sweden