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The German ensemble Lunar Aurora is one of the few non-Norwegian black metal orchestras who have achieved the difficult task of creating quite a buzz in the underground. "Ars Moriendi", their break-through album if that can be said about an underground act, was originally released as their fourth full-length album by the German label Ars Metalli in 2001 but is now being re-issued by Supernal Music. It is more than a simple re-release however. An additional guitar has been added, another mixing session has provided it with a somewhat more powerful sound and it also features a brand new layout. "Ars Moriendi" is basically an old-school black metal album but it is an unusally complex and progressive one. Using German only lyrics may not be a fresh experiment but their minimalistic use of keyboards and effects is quite innovative, not to say bizarre. Their approach is particularly successful with "Dämonentreiber" which is a extraordinary intense song taken as close to perfection as humanly possible.
The black metal performed by these Germans is primitive, raw but as I mentioned before it is not completely devoid of bold moves. The partly punk / thrash influenced drums may put some people off but in general they don't spoil any of the experience. Lunar Aurora is one of the few old-school black metal bands who use keyboards in their music but they handle the instrument and song writing with care and it does never sound cheap nor out of place. You don't have to worry about them becoming another Dimmu Borgir or Cradle Of Filth clone. Believe me, there are enough of those already. "Ars Moriendi" is not an album that will revolutionize the black metal genre this time either but it is a welcome breath of individuality that stands out well in a genre overpopulated by copycats. Gloomy, grim, dark, sinister and atmospheric. Don't hide from the shadows, embrace them. Exit light, enter night.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Ars Moriendi |
| 2. Dämonentreiber |
| 3. Kältetod |
| 4. Black Aureole |
| 5. Beholder In Sorrow |
| 6. Flammen Der Sehnsucht |
| 7. Aasfresser |
| 8. Geist Der Nebelsphären |
| 9. Ausklang |
: 47.09
| Buy other Lunar Aurora albums |
