Reeking Aura – On The Promise Of The Moon (Profound Lore Records)
Is the New Wave of American Death Metal going stale?
Perhaps.
Are too many bands making bludgeoning pit fodder, as they court an HC crowd?
Maybe.
But if you’re searching for imagination and ingenuity in that scene, you’ll still find it.
Reeking Aura are a case in point.
The NY/New Jersey crew unleashed a weird and wonderful debut in 22’s Blood And Bonemeal. The pungent effluent of old school DM sloshed across the likes of Harvesting the Hatchet, as Reeking Aura dialled back to a time when the genre thrilled at every turn. More to the point, it was catchy as hell. The boys’ songcraft was startling.
This time out, guitarists Terrell Grannum and Rick Habeeb, plus vocalist William Smith, are joined by new drummer Hudson Barth and bassist TJ Coon. Their collective CV reads like a who’s who of the US underground. Sentient Horror, Trog, After Birth and Artificial Brain all feature. And together, they’ve propelled Reeking Aura into the top tier of new US death metal – at least from a musical perspective.
Reeking Aura are on the rise
Reeking Aura have hit on something unique. Aping Bolt Thrower, Cannibal Corpse or Mortician? Not for them. The quintet have a distinct, noxious scent that’s sprayed all over On the Promise of the Moon. It’s an album of ominous atmospherics, flashburn riffs and swamp trawling low end, where brutality very often turns into something beautiful (check out Gorged Beyond Grudges) and melodic brilliance blossoms in the filth.
Fretwork twists. Percussion contorts. All the tracks here are under the five minute mark, yet they sound like epics.
And like the best DM acts, Reeking Aura know how to hook you in.
Yes, they’re technically impressive (Barth is an outstanding addition to the ranks).
And yes, death metal mixologist Dan Swanö has pushed their sonic onslaught much further. It’s crisper, without any muscle loss.
But the riffs bore into your DNA. The melodies swoop from nowhere to scoop you up. Infectious is an understatement.
The title track? It’s a pummelling anti-anthem shaped from scorched Earth.
The Gothenburg-tinged A Forlorn and Frozen Vapor? It rises like a blackened, acrid plume, heading for the stratosphere.
And while Sifting for Fungal Inheritance (A Mildewy, Acrid Mulch) sounds absolutely fucking crazy, it’s insanely good.
Intelligent, incisive and eviscerating, On the Promise of the Moon is a giant leap for Reeking Aura.
