aurorawave - 'aurorawave' - Album Review

Always open for fresh cross-genre experimentations, I was particularly excited when I first stumbled onto aurorawave, a brand new reggae rock outfit on steady route to blow up. Knowing absolutely nothing about the band, I followed their 2024 promo campaign with great interest and pleasure, all leading to a first self-titled record that just dropped to what looks like universal acclaim so far. Nowadays you don't get many debuts in the modern rock and metal scenes that are delivered with such ease and confidence, not to mention the purely entertaining factor that often gets neglected, but aurorawave have really excelled across the board and given us an absolute gem to enjoy all Summer long.

Mixing reggae influences in rock and metal is hardly a novelty, but certainly not something the alternative scene expected to re-emerge in 2024 In the past we have witnessed the distincitve ragga metal party of Skindred, the roots lyricism in certain P.O.D. releases, the powerful tribal inspiration in early Soulfly LPs, even the widely unknown and forgotten excellence of Eyesburn, all playing a key role in the genres' shared history but none of them really like we see in aurorawave. Here we are faced with a dominantly positive, envigorating and empowering reggae-centric music that happens to seamlessly incorporate certain rock and metal influences, focusing first and foremost on the island vibes and careless attitude but still embracing some proper heavy roots and packing quite the punch when needed.

Naturally, the main highlights for most fans will be singles like 'INFERNO', 'BOILING POINT' and 'KINDNESS' but they are far from the only strong sides of the record. Surely, we get metal legends like Brandon Saller (Atreyu), Jonathan Vigil (The Ghost Inside) and Fronz (Atilla) appearing on those singles with truly outstanding vocal deliveries that can put their respective bands' recent outputs to shame, but there is much more packed across the album's thirteen tracks. On the purely reggae and dub sides of aurorawave we are also met with equally notable collaborations with genre icons which puts aurorawave in a quite interesting and favourable position of playing alongside the best from both teams.

Overall, you can expect an album that is chill and relaxing, a soundtrack to a blissful beach holiday that just happens to ignite with no warning from time to time, keeping you on a refreshing edge from start to finish. There are plenty of sunshine-inviting sing-along anthems, several guaranteed radio favourites and a couple of blissful surf bangers, all mixed between the already mentioned pit-starting ragers without a care in the world. These are tracks to dance, relax, sing, dream or straight up bang your head to, whatever mood gets you first, but most importantly, all are performed with striking precision, authenticity and flair, easily making aurorawave one of 2024's most pleasant surprises so far.

Surely, such cross-genre releases are risky, but remain vital for the progress of the alternative scene in general. Metalheads tend to get too stuck up in their ways and often forget to loosen up, and if we are to move on towards an exciting, diverse and entertaining future, we need to appreciate positive external influences when we get them. Similarly, we should be promoting the inclusion of otherwise repetative rock and metal tropes when used in a new light in the fresh context of unusual combinations, such as aurorawave's unique reggae blend. All in all, this LP is a must-listen for everyone and I do hope the band does stick around to keep us grounded, happy and refreshed for a long time.

aurorawave - 'aurorawave'

Country: United States

Released: 2 August 2024

Label: Ineffable Records

Tracklisting:

1. MEANT TO BE.

2. INFERNO. (ft. Brandon Saller off Atreyu)

3. STRATOSPHERE.

4. RISE & SHINE. (ft. Layton Meacham)

5. BOILING POINT. (ft. Jonathan Vigil off The Ghost Inside)

6. SEE YOU AROUND.

7. LIFE. (ft. Surfer Girl)

8. (after)LIFE.

9. KINDNESS (ft. Fronz off Attila)

10. BACKGROUND NOISE. (ft. Satsang)

11. NO LOVE LOST.

12. TRUST & BELIEVE.

13. EXPECTATIONS.