Negative-Existence - AURA NOIR "Hades Rise" CD

AURA NOIR "Hades Rise" CD
[cdviled291]

~~$15.00~~ $14.00

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Artist: AURA NOIR

Title: Hades Rise

Format: CD

Country: Norway

Genre: Black / Thrash Metal

Record Label: Peaceville Records

THE UGLIEST BAND IN THE WORLD RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM

‘This is Rock n Roll at its most fucked-up and malicious’ Kerrang! 

Aura Noir were formed in 1993 by Aggressor (Virus, ex-Cadaver, ex-DHG, ex-Ved Buens Ende) and Apollyon (Immortal, ex Cadaver, ex-DHG).

Tired of much of the black metal that was emerging from their native Norway at the time, they sought to create a dirtier, thrashier form, drawing inspiration from Slayer, Sodom and Kreator.

Hades Rise follows on from where 2004’s highly-rated, The Merciless (the debut release on Tyrant Syndicate, Darkthrone’s Peaceville imprint) left off.

Without doubt, the band’s biggest machete to the face to date, Hades Rise embraces the spirit of bands like Venom to serve up a life-threatening overdose of skull-splitting, ear-busting filth and fury.

Self-produced in Apollyon’s cellar studio, the album contains guest appearances from Danny Coralles (Autopsy, Abscess) and the band's former guitarist, Blasphemer (ex-Mayhem).

Pure, relentless Aura Noir at their finest ... Still truly the ugliest band in the world.

Tracklisting:

1. Hades Rise
2. Gaping Grave Awaits
3. Unleash the Demon
4. Pestilent Streams
5. Schitzoid Paranoid
6. Death-Mask
7. Shadows of Death
8. Iron Night/Torment Storm
9. South American Death
10.The Stalker

Sounds:

Review:

Written by:Tirgoviste [Metal Archives] Aura Noir is one of a few bands active today that I will rush to the local record store with any degree of enthusiasm to pick up their latest offering (Keeping in mind they DO have the benefit of decent distribution which cannot be said for most of the truly noteworthy acts percolating in metal's black bowels today). I was only slightly less-than enthralled when I heard the sample tracks on Peaceville's mini-site in promotion of the album but I liked what I heard well enough to spur me to seek more. In hind-sight, I chalk up my lukewarm first impressions to the unworthiness of the average laptop's built in speakers to accommodate high degrees of sonic ferocity.

So, the release date came and that familiar giddy anticipatory feeling my less-jaded metal-brethren know so well crept over me. It sets in later now that my mind is clouded with the soul-flatteningly banal aspects of 'normal-ass person life' as opposed to the several days of anticipation prior when I was an angsty (I'm taking the word back) but essentially dutiless youth. Without further fanciful banter (hopefully, if not, oops), here are my impressions upon popping this thoroughly vicious fucker in my trucks not-bitterly-enviable-but-slightly-above-average sound system...

"Oh, okay... mhmm... Yeah, fuckin' hell!... Oooouuaaggh!" and then, subsequently throughout the duration of the album, enthusiastic musings made to an impartial passenger that usually started with, 'Ugh, that's so fuckin' cool because...' or simply, 'Goddamn!'. Subsequent listenings have consistently found me silent but with an uncontrollable grimace spread across my face punctuated by frantic headbanging and accompanied by the sporadic raised fist or horned salute to the sounds before me. I don't resort to the traditional metal posturing over nothing.

So, I've done a fair job of illustrating that I really like this record but considering I hate reviews that are pure unqualified reaction, I suppose I should make some sort of an attempt to explain WHY I like it so goddamned much.

For starters, the production is spot on, as far as I am concerned. Though I have no qualms with the deceptively clean sound presented on 'The Merciless' (and I sure as hell have no issues with any of the songs), I don't think 'Hades Rise' would be quite as effective without the layer of 'ashy-de-polishing' added to the sound. I can't really get technical about it because I am not well educated in production techniques but I can say it services the songs and pussies accustomed to the more popular sound of 'metal' prevalent today aren't going to be put off.

I don't think I've ever heard the word 'bestial' used anywhere outside of a metal context but Apollyon spits it like the band's forebearers and influences from the eighties owe THEM a couple bucks. I have always likened Aggressor's vocal style to a re-animated or crazed aristocrat of sorts which is somewhat diminished at times on this album as I find it only slightly difficult to discern who's on vocals from track to track. In any case, it doesn't really matter considering it sounds as if both parties smoked two packs of Lucky Strikes each and then gargled with and partially swallowed a fistful of stagnant earth before stepping up to the mic (this is fucking metal and so this is obviously good). All in all, perhaps a bit less distinct and so we lack a bit of the vocal variety of the last album but all is nonetheless well (No guest vocals this time, either).

Most importantly, the riffs remain solid as ever but with a certain swagger I can't recall hearing to such an extent prior. As I will speculate in a minute, this album feels like rock embellished thrash in large part (but it does, true to form, out and out thrash consistently). Label mate Danny Corralles (Autopsy, Abscess... like you didn't know) does a guest solo on 'Gaping Grave Awaits' summoned by Apollyon with the incantation of 'Kill, Danny, Killll!!!'. Also, anyone foolishly concerned with the effect the absence of Blasphemer (except for a solo) would have on the riffs or guitarwork, no worries. He is indeed an excellent guitar player but nothing is missing here.

(Note: This fucker is already getting long in the tooth so I'm going to hope you'll pick this album up and rely on your ears and not my words to relate the superbness of the riffage throughout instead of rambling on about the merits of each song)

'Hades Rise' is both a departure and a logical regression of sorts (kind of like how Darkthrone's last two albums can be said to reach back to influences that predate the bands earliest output and in effect, regress to a sound that is 'older than their old sound'... dig?). In the former sense, one of the prime differences could be attributed to Aggressor's complete absence from the drum kit (due to, I assume, serious injuries he sustained from a four story plummet a few years back that has left him wheelchair bound -- this could account for, by and large, the 'black and roll' tempo and style of many of the tracks). Historically, Aggressor and Apollyon have shared time on all instruments, notably on 'The Merciless' where vocal and drum duties were traded off song to song revealing a marked difference not only in the vocals but in drumming technique depending on who was behind the kit (To clarify, I'm not sure how they've handled it on the albums but live shows had the now departed Blasphemer on guitar with Apollyon and Aggressor splitting drums and bass/vocals). Apollyon generally handled the mid-tempo songs whereas Aggressor was at the helm for the full on black thrash assault tracks. Fortunately, Apollyon has proved on this album, though he may not fully possess the flashiness or speed of Aggressor's style, he can produce a more-than serviceable blast beat when called for with overall playing being tastefully primitive.

Packaging wise, the Increased Damnation logo rears its head once again though is far less an eyesore this time around. No real complaints aside from a lack of printed lyrics. The old-school 'band doing shit with their friends from other bands' photo collage in the liner note fold out (Appollyon in ridiculous white pants, Fenriz playing croquet, Nocturno Culto on a dirtbike, Aggressor and Blasphemer in showercaps and is that slack jawed fucker Scott Carlson from Repulsion I see in there?) is nifty as fuck but a lyrics booklet would be preferable considering their lyrics on past efforts practically demand to be shouted from a podium in their Baudelaireian grandiosity. Though I am a great admirer of Luciferian symbolism in all esthetics, I often find myself put off by the redundancy of heathen lyrics so I need to stress that Aura Noir have an unmatched kind of necro-pomp or, to borrow a phrase from their own 'Black Deluge Night', an 'elegant wave of devastation' to their lyricism. That said, I really wish I had a reference word for word what is being hissed... its not as if an integral part of the listening experience is forfeited but it is worth reading along with or in this case listening closely to their lyrics. Anyways...

If you've actually read this far, firstly, shit, I'm sorry. This is my first attempt at an album review ever. My next submission will be more to the point and concise. Secondly, I hope you've gleaned an inkling of the excellence of this album from my words and will go buy yourself and your closest denim-vested cohort a copy.

Links:

myspace.com/auranoir

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 21 January, 2012.