CD Reviews
Auger - The Awakening
Auger - The Awakening
darkTunes Music Group
April 2018
Auger is a dark electro duo from UK, formed in 2017.
Auger band members are Kyle Wilson (lead vocals, keyboards, programming) and Kieran Thornton (guitar and backing vocals). Their music combines elements from gothic, metal, industrial and electronica and "The Awakening" is their first full-length album, released in April 2018. Inside the digipack "The Awakening" is referred as the Volume One of a mysterious tale.
"The Awakening" starts with"The Beginning", an atmospheric dark intro, and the album is closing with "The End of The Beginning" letting the listener with exactly the same dark atmospheric mood.
"Wendigo" is a powerful track, touching the edges of metal, with heavy guitar riffs and several alternation, ending with guitar solo. "Substance" moves the sound to more electronic fields, while keeping the heavy guitars and the strong riffs. In those two first racks we can listen to a dark and deep voice of Kyle.
In "Monster", Auger is moving to their goth side, since this is probably the track that is clearly an electro-goth composition using catchy electronic riffs combined with electro-gothic guitars and vocals. One of "The Awakening"'s highlights and one of my favorite.
In "Right Here Right Now", "Nightcrawlers" and "End of Our World" Kyle's voice going even deeper and we can listen to more tracks balancing on goth, metal and electro edges.
"My Guardian" is the track that has already make the difference for Auger since there is an official video already released. Electronic synths beautifully combined with Kieran's guitar. In "Time and a Place" is clear that one of the main influences of Auger is Chris Pohl and Blutengel. In this track synth riffs and melody reminds the German electro - dark band and is perhaps one of the darkest moments of the album.
"Burn" is bringing back the dark and melancholic atmosphere with a nice surprise of female vocals used in this track. The "Other Side" begins with a romantic ballad style intro and is combined with guitar riffs and synth elements that completes a romantic powerful dark track. "New Life" is another electro-goth highlight where someone can listen to a Gothminister mood and influence.
Auger with "The Awakening" combine different styles of the wider dark music and sounds, The result is really interesting, however I was a bit surprised with the amount of heavy guitars used. However it is smoothly bond to all synth elements and the final sound blend is giving a fresh dark character. Their influences are clear including Blutengel, Gothminister, Lords of the Lost and even Project Pitchfork. Lyric-wise, "The Awakening" touches different feelings including a loss, love, loneliness. All in all is a really good debut album for the dark-electro duo from UK, and I am looking forward to their next release.
"My Guardian" official video:
Info:
https://www.facebook.com/AugerUK/
http://www.twitter.com/augerofficial
http://www.instagram.com/auger.band
