Aura Noir – The Merciless
Tyrant Syndicate – 2004
By Russell Garwood
Norway’s
Aura Noir provide the debut release for Tyrant Syndicate,
Darkthrone’s new Peaceveille sub-label. The band has been going for over a decade, and as such is by no means new to the scene.
Merciless is 28 minutes of harsh black-thrash; generic guitars are almost as reminiscent of the 80’s as shoulder pads and Rubik’s cubes, but nevertheless solid. Some melody makes for more memorable songs, while the instrument is certainly the thrashiest element in the sound. Occasional solos are excellent, and add very welcome variety. Well performed drums often rely on mid-paced blasts, and provide the driving rhythm so necessary for the sound, while the bass proves more prominent than normal for thrash. The vocals are a spewed bellow, again well suited to the music. This all makes for a stripped down, back-to-basics sound, very old-school, and good fun. Like shoulder pads and Rubik’s cubes!
Despite being well performed and very entertaining,
Merciless is not without its flaws. Some off the riffs are unoriginal in the extreme, and the short running time of the album - while ensuring the music doesn’t get overly monotonous - could be seen as a downside by many. Muddy production is another flaw if you’re not a fan. Standout tracks tend also to be the thrashiest, such as the memorable “Hell’s Fire”.
Aura Noir are well worth checking out for thrash fans, perhaps not so much for others.
6.5/10
Official Aura Noir website
