Aera: The Craving Within

We all have our go-to albums for a refreshing morning walk or a long drive on the highway. Although this album wouldn’t be my first choice for either of those activities (or for relaxing on the beach), it could be just the thing for wandering through a cold and barren terrain, particularly if you aren’t likely to run into anyone while you’re out. I’m not suggesting that fellow-travelers won’t enjoy the music, just that it’s especially made for those who want to get lost in their own head for a while. It’s also for fans of black metal that want to look back to the 1990s and remember what it might have been like to hear that pulsing and raspy blend of guitars and vocals brought to life by a dark and restless, rhythm. To add variety to things, the band works in some surprisingly bright piano sounds and some rather subdued ambient chords.

Fans of black metal have surely heard these sounds before, but they are more likely to admire Aera’s love of black metal than they are to dismiss the band’s familiar sound. Fans will also want to pay attention to new vocalist Stein Akslen (Blodsgard, Minneriket, Vakslen, V0id&Khaos) and the way he weaves his voice into the sound without being overly intrusive. Aera knows how to write decent black metal tracks even if some of them drag on a little too much. Of all the tracks, I enjoyed “Skaldens Dod� and “Rite of Odin� the most.

Track Listing:
1. Skaldens Dod
2. Frost Within
3. Rite of Odin
4. Profetien
5. Join Me Tomorrow
6. Norron Magi

Added: March 29th 2019
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
Hits: 1241
Language: english

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