Review AURI ‘II-Those We Don’t Speak Of’

Voices, violin, viola, keys, guitars, bouzouki, mandola, ulleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone and bodhran are not exactly what heavy metal band use and if you are familiar with Auri, than you also know that we are far away from metal here.

Auri is a rather new band. Having been founded in 2017 by friends Tuomas Holopainen, Troy Donockley and Johanna Kurkela, the trio takes its inspiration from Celtic music and folk music. Holopainen and Donockley are renowned as members of Finnish symphonic wizards Nightwish and created with Auri an outlet for music that doesn’t exactly fit the mothership. Some parallels might be obvious but Auri follows the calmer aspect of sound, all wrapped into a mystic spirit.

The trio premiered with the ‘Auri’ album that will be now followed by part II. Listening to these ten songs is like watching the magic fog covering slowly the mountain tops in the Highlands. It’s music that easily can act as a soundtrack to the beauty of nature in all its roughness as well as beauty. Songs like ‘Pear Diving’ are peaceful anthems that allow to dream away in a musical fairy tale and the same goes for the charming ‘Scattered to the Four Winds’.

‘II – Those We Don’t Speak Of’ is a peaceful and mystic songs featuring longplayer. The calm and more romantic notes are in forefront, inviting to a musical journey with some heart-warming stage finishes.