Photo courtesy of Papa Joe Photography
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state. This month’s state is New Mexico.*
Aurora Under Water is a mixture of Metalcore, Ska, Punk, and Reggae that formed in Las Cruces, New Mexico in March of 2017. The band doesn’t look to have a solidified sound, but to just create what they like. It is a potent mixture, with a fresh edge in a croweded market. The talented musicians in the group are vocalist Mark Dragone, lead guitarist Andrew Adonis, rhythm guitarist/clean vocalist Chris Greeno, drummer James Puff and bassist Ryan Lauterbach.
‘Submerged’ is their first long player and it rips with the intensity you would expect from a Metalcore band. However, it is not all growling vocals and riffage (although that it one element of the music). The riffing power is broken by extended funky or punky sections, giving it an amazing range of diversity.
The album is made up of seven tracks of fantastic metalodium. The guitars slash and weave in complicated patterns. The basslines throb with rock solid bottom end and the drumming batters out blastbeats and then intricate fills. I find more to marvel at, each listen I give it.
The growling of Dragone is top notch, with a feral sound that breaks down sonic walls. He is complemented by an amazing performance on clean vocals by the fabulously named Greeno. The zineth of this is the wonderful song “Grace.” You will find this tune burrowing into your pre-frontal cortex and running down your spinal column, so good it is.
The wonderment continues with tunes such as “Dear Father” with it acoustic lament. Never have I heard a metalcore band take so many risks on their debut album. The singing is magnificent and the emotion palpable. As someone who lost their father at an early age, I completely understand the loss that is felt. Breathtaking.
The album rounds out with the battering ram of “Save Me” and it is blistering. It races along at 100mph, shattering eardrums on its way to the final destination.
Go under water and find this band to sail away on the sonic ocean with.
