Aura Sinfonica

This is some interesting and diverse black metal, with plenty of jazzy moments. It has been called avant garde by other reviewers, but it’s not quite experimental enough to fit into that category in my view. There are some weird moments, and these are all great, but there is also a lot of conventional black metal in there of the tremolo-picked variety. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable release. The jazz breaks are excellent—these are the moments where the band really shines. They might actually be the best integration of jazz influences I’ve heard in black metal, reminding me more than a little of technical death metal bands like Atheist and Cynic. The jazz is never overly complex, but I think this suits the music very well. There are plenty of other influences in there, from goth to folk, and these are also well done. There are a few awkward transitions, but overall everything flows remarkably well, considering the diverse array of musical styles. The keyboards are very tastefully done, always there to add a bit of atmosphere or a nice melody line, never sounding cheesy or overdone. All in all, everything on here is very tastefully executed. The musicianship is superb, nice and tight, and the production is nice and clean. My only complaint is in regard to the more traditional black metal elements, which are not all that interesting. If they focus on the more progressive elements of their music, this band could do some amazing things. I hope to hear a lot more from these guys in the future.