State Of The Art: New Mexico’s AURORA UNDER WATER [Album Stream]

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.

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State Of The Art: New Mexico’s VANUM [Album Stream]

*This is part of our monthly State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state. This month’s state is New Mexico.*

Like the hot winds of Armageddon’s wrath, Sante Fe, New Mexico’s Vanum delivers a modern black metal inferno of atmosphere and intensity that harkens back to a classic sound. Their appropriately titled release ‘Ageless Fire,’ which just dropped last month on Profound Lore Records, could easily be the soundtrack to the end of days. While stylistically, Vanum’s sound is reminiscent of black metal’s golden era, thankfully they opt for a more modern, post-black metal production quality that gives the songs’ vast soundscapes the appropriate canvas on which to shine at their best. Not to be confused, however, the riffs on ‘Ageless Fire’ sound as filthy as to be expected while the drumming is able to effectively maintain a certain garage-like nastiness. Vocals genuinely and viscerally convey the primal screams of a tormented soul, especially during the music’s frequent, intense tremolo-picked passages. Continue reading