Aurora Borealis
World Shapers

Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights if you speak more down to earth talk, is an american trio that was formed back in 1995. Their first album was released in 1998 and now many years later they are releasing their seventh album called World Shapers which is a conceptual sequel to their previous album. Does it sound impressive? Well, the cover art looks quite fascinating and as it goes I am a big fan of science fiction meaning that we might have something here as lots points towards this album being something in that vein. But the question is if it is, and is it as majestic and powerful as those northern lights one can see around here on some clear winter nights?

Not really majestic but quite powerful and death metallic. Evil grunting vocals, majestic melodies, rough edges and such things. Some melodic touches but mainly very typical floridian death metal, no more and no less. I think the production is very solid, very strong. Good sound, poor vocals. Not much variation, which is commonplace in the genre, an album that is of decent length reaching just short of 45 minutes over ten tracks. I wouldn’t describe them as chapters in an epic story, the album lacks the epic elements to build the grande story they seem to be desiring to tell with this album. I have however not really delved into what they are trying to tell but I do not get the sense of a storytelling album as I listen to this album.

I think when I first heard the opening parts I thought it was good, then the vocalist started to sing and the good turned a bit sour and the album took a turn for the worse. A turn it never recovers fully from and I find the album decent but it never really gets anywhere, never really brings out anything new. There is nothing here we haven’t heard before and the album is not good enough to shine despite its lack of uniqueness. Question is why they do this? I have never understood the unending need to emulate others, to desire to sound like something that has come before. I have written three novels that I will never publish as I think they are too alike something that has already been written, meaning that it is a pointless endeavour as something like it already exists. I think every band should desire to find their own voice, something different from what is already out there.

I understand that not everything can be completely unique, at the same time one has to try and make something of ones own. Aurora Borealis sounds like much in the genre and this album may have positives but it cannot overcome a poor vocalist and the lack of a fresh perspective. I would also have like to have more epic parts in this album, to make it more of a storytelling album but that wasn’t to be and the album feels flat to me. Guess that you will like it if you enjoy death metal of the traditional kind, it is okay for such an album but then again if you have heard one you have heard them all. It is almost like that anyway and this feels just like one more of those albums, not really bad but kind of meaningless.

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