Album Review: Ravendust - The Gold of the Aura
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
‘The Gold of Aura’ is the second solo release by Raven, guitarist of Helvetic black metal bands Chotzä, Malphas and Temple, under the name Ravendust. It follows his debut release ‘Ultragod’ which was issued in 2020. That album was devoted to the art of war. His latest record seems to have taken a slightly more melancholic approach but retains much of the violent aggression that surged through the debut.
With a need to scratch the creative itch, Raven notes that nothing is off limits. “I’ve started my solo project in 2019, I had a lot of music unreleased, and I really wanted to do something with it, creating this project was therefore obvious to me. I got no limitation about the theme and lyrics; I just go where I’m supposed to go with my music”.
‘The Gold of Aura’ is a rollercoaster black metal ride of some quality, with the opening savagery of ‘No God’ flexing the muscles amidst walls of tremolo riffage. Whilst the album is a solo project, with Raven providing all instruments and vocals, there’s a cohesion here that is often missing from solo releases. Waves of blast beats anchor the tracks in a traditional style, the croaking roars of his vocals reminiscent of Satyr and Abbath. ‘Existance’ sees the use of low-key harmonies, changes of tempo and synths to add atmosphere.
There is a natural flow to the album. ‘The Mermaid’ oozes symphonic elements which enhance the feel of the song, ‘Among Death’ is black and roll in style with a riff that will linger for eons, whilst the central pillar of the entire album, the eight-minute title track is beautifully crafted and delivered. Delicately balanced, it blends passages of harrowing melancholic with more bludgeoning sections of extreme.
It may at times be rudimentary and retro in style and sound, but this is an album that should appeal to those with a penchant for the blackened side of metal.
