Aura Noir
Deep Tracts of Hell

The Aura Noir are an essential band for anyone who loves extreme metal, which primarily harkens back to the old metal of the '80s, thrash (and when I say thrash, I DO NOT mean Metallica, Megadeth, and the like), and the old school black metal of Venom, Morbid, and early Beherit.

Born back in 1993, they have only gained visibility in recent years thanks in part to the presence of Blasphemer (ex-Mayhem) and the great Apollyon, an eclectic figure very active in the Norwegian underground scene and a new member of the far more famous Immortal.

The album in question, "Deep Tracts of Hell", is their second full-length, following "Black Thrash Attack," another masterpiece of their discography. The start is deadly: one minute and fifty of intensely tight riffs that embellish the classic tupa-tupa (those accustomed to listening to a lot of metal know what I mean) of the drums, a central stop-and-go that increases the power and the orgasmic alternation of very old school thrash riffs with the evil "melodies" dear to old black... Already in these first two minutes, you can sense the stench of sewer that these three Norwegians manage to produce with their instruments... A full sewer, ready to overflow at any moment...

The second track moves along the same lines but ends with a more modern blast-beat, almost death, but the masterpiece of the album is definitely "Swarm of Vultures". The song starts off with just the guitar spewing out a deliciously evil riff, then aided by the drums, which increasingly speed up the tempo... Only to suddenly stop! At this point, the track becomes a mid-tempo for pure headbanging.

Obviously, Aura Noir does not aim for innovation or originality, but for power and frontal assault, so the album, as you can imagine, moves along the same lines for all the songs, which are all of very high level without a single track not up to par.

Also noteworthy are "Slasher", a devastating track, and "Purification of Hell", another excellent piece. The album's production is perfect for the genre: hammering drums, compressed just enough, guitars in the foreground, and in-your-face vocals, with added distortion and sometimes eight kilos of reverb. For those who love the real sound of metal and consequently what comes from the '80s, it is an absolute must-listen (like the entire discography of Aura Noir), and for those seeking soulless technicality and ultra-plastic clean sound, they should definitely abstain.