AURI – Auri (Nuclear Blast 27361 42120)

AuriI really didn’t know what to expect from this album. I know Troy Donockley, of course – at least his work with everyone from Maddy Prior to The Bad Shepherds and I know he can play like a demon. Tuomas Holopainen, I learn, is the founder of Nightwish and a composer of symphonic metal so were we in for prog uilleann pipes? Vocalist and viola player Johanna Kurkela is a new name to me so what would Auri offer?

I find myself in an odd position. I love the instrumental sound that Auri makes from Tuomas’ huge keyboards to Troy’s delicate whistles and guitar. There isn’t much in the way of metal but guest drummer Frank Van Essen is an important part of the sound. Symphonic describes it well, as would choral with all the multi-tracked vocals, it is a big rich sound.

My odd position? For the most part, this is not an instrumental album and my first port of call for songs would always be the lyrics but I can’t get into these. If I let my mind wander and just listen to the sound Auri make, I’m quite happy. Johanna has a clear voce which is more robust than it first seems and if she were singing in her native Finnish, I wouldn’t be searching for meaning, and would be raving about what a great album this is.

There are some stand-out tracks; ‘Underthing Solstice’ is one such as are the wordless ‘The Name Of The Wind’ and the closing ‘Them Thar Chanterelles’. I rather like ‘Aphrodite Rising’ but I’m not sure what it’s about although I can probably make some guesses. This is why I didn’t get into 70s prog-rock and avoid concept triple-albums wherever possible. I never was an intellectual.

Dai Jeffries

Artists’ website: www.nuclearblast.com

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