A double album from Germany’s Träumen Von Aurora whose name translates as Dreaming Of Aurora. It is rare you get bands releasing two albums on the same date but this very skilled and accomplished act has done just that with ‘Aurora’ and ‘Luna’. Both albums are very similar in styling and approach and if I could make any comparison I’d say ‘Luna’ is darker in its toning and probably reflects its title. However what is clear is the sheer ambition and class we have on offer, both releases setting the bar within post-black metal extremely high indeed with a deluge of extravagant, complex and enthralling compositions as I’ll dissect the ‘Aurora’ release first.
You have only to look at the album covers to discern the contrasts the band has successfully created with the ‘Aurora’ album having a light coloured background opposing the black background of ‘Luna’. With six songs on each album there is a ton of time (91 minutes) to immerse yourself into Träumen Von Aurora’s world and the way they construct their music and lyrics if you understand German. Whilst there are plenty of vocals on this album there is an exploratory, almost instrumental, post-black journey to submerge within as the opener ‘Aurora I’ shows which kicks the ‘Aurora’ album into play. As an elongated instrumental piece it serves to channel the listener into a serene posture initially before the gradual escalation in intensity, something the band does throughout the releases I might add. ‘Gram Und Verve’ follows and immediately there is a melodic black metal undercurrent, crafted through the guitar work and harsh vocals. However the post-black credentials are never far away and the nuances they create in the song are hypnotic and strangely uplifting, considering the atramentous aura the album has overall.
‘Aurora II’ continues the post-black themes and here mentally I was referencing the likes of Agalloch and Alcest, not necessarily in terms of riffs but the way they embed hooks, melodies and resounding power in the songs fabric. With the song durations being pretty lengthy mostly the band has time to tease things out, giving you plenty of opportunity to absorb each song in its own right but also as a whole. ‘Epiphanie’ clocks near the nine minute barrier and here we get the bands progressive leanings, that sense of obsidian cinematic poise this band does so well, meandering the track through a variety of keyboard delectations and some excellent cleaner vocals which work an absolute treat throughout. The attention to detail is huge, the varying vocal tones matching the mood and emotion of the music as the first release concludes with the epic ‘…Kann Eines Lichtes Flackern Trüben’, a massive engrossing sonic construction that weaves through a gamut of emotions, deploying an absolute cornucopia of riffs, melodies and some sublime piano work I found mesmerising. The nuances are endless, the song eschewing some Anathema like charm at times within its serene melancholy and despondent ethos. There are progressive touches too, almost jazz like infusions into the song as it channels you down experimental pathways and desolate tension, concluding the first album in superb fashion.
As I mentioned earlier, there is some contrast between the two albums and if anything ‘Luna’ is the darker cousin of ‘Aurora’ but there are similarities between the two. Musically ‘Luna’ is similar in nature to ‘Aurora’ the post-black mind-set is firmly entrenched but tonally this album feels darker, slightly eerier and creepier to some extent as it opens with ‘Nicht Alle Dunkelheit Der Welt…’ and if you understand the title then it does indicate a slight shadowy approach. Heavy and possessing profuse density the opener on ‘Luna’ is hugely atmospheric but rooted in morosity as this lengthy instrumental showcases the bands ability to morph from one phase to another impeccably. There are so many hues on the album, each providing the listener with a different personality as you flow through the songs which continues with the eleven minutes ‘Stille Mehr Stille’. I cannot overstate how emotive this album is, and it is the keyboard work, piano insertions and deft guitar gradations that ensure this as the song’s opening sequence is saturated in mournful heartbreak as the surging post-black power ramps up the intensity.
‘Luna I’ has a semi-acoustic starting piece, its sorrowfulness melded to the more angst like blackness the song harnesses, but coupled to the way the band inserts those post-rock touches as ‘Etwas’ follows. Slower and maybe even slightly weirder due to the cleaner vocal style this song has an unnerving and maybe disturbing edge, the way it plunges from animosity to tranquil textures is wonderfully executed and contrasts with the far more intense ‘Luna II’. The periodic violent outbursts work magnificently and create that sense of plummeting and accelerating dynamics that have you reeling. I absolutely love the guitar work on both these releases, but at times you have to just sit back and behold the wondrous display on offer, especially on ‘Luna II’ the way the lead breaks don’t feel like lead breaks and are interweaved into the song generating that cohesive experience. ‘Sturmgeweiht’ is the finale to the album, offering a much calmer start in the first instance before it quickly diverts into an aggressive stance with enormous intensity, something both these albums have in massive quantities. Again the guitar work is wonderful, desperately passionate and entwined within the harsher vocal delivery as the riff changes are spectacular too, pivoting the closer beautifully with the clean vocals and leaving you in no doubt at how special these two albums are.
An unmatched double album from Träumen Von Aurora, one of scintillating textures and outright brilliant musicianship, this is unreservedly superb.
(9/10 Martin Harris)
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