Aura Noir is the first band to be signed to Darkthrone’s Tyrant Syndicate Productions label, and what an excellent choice it was.

For those who don’t know, Aura Noir is an all-star band formed by Blasphemer of Mayhem, and the members of Dødheimsgard and the now deceased Cadaver or Cadaver Inc., Apollyon and Aggressor.

The band presents an old-school Black Thrash attack which is highly effective, not to mention addictive. The guitars throw killer riffs all the way through the album, which are totally “Thrash by the book”; just listen to songs like Merciless, Black Deluge Night, or whatever goddamned song you want in the album for a lesson in slaying, old-school riffing. Some good solos appear throughout the record, like in the opener, Upon the Dark Throne, and some great Black Metal tremolo picking and arpeggios are used in some songs like Condor and Hell’s Fire. The vocals generally are a low, harsh, raspy, ultra-agressive voice, but there are songs, like Funeral Thrash that include grim Black Metal vocals; as for the drums, they’re good, nothing extraoridnary, just good drums old-school style. As it is to be expected from this type of release, the production is raw, but I think it works great for the band, adding an even more old-school feeling to it.

This album isn’t going to change the world of Metal, not a bit, but that’s not stopping it from being a great release, filled with great riffs and loads of attitude; my only real complaint about the album is its length, which doesn’t even manage to cover half an hour.

Anyway, if you like old-school Thrash or Black Metal like Venom, Celtic Frost, early Bathory, or even Slayer, this one’s for you; buy blindly. If you think that the only Thrash worth getting is the one coming out of Sweden this days, like the one The Haunted makes, then don’t waste you’re time.

Definitely an album that you’ll become addicted to. It’s an excellent option for those insane Metal parties; also be sure to check Aura Noir's back catalogue if you like this one.

After several listens my neck hurts like hell; must be from all the headbanging; well, got to go, the Black Thrash-fest calls!!!