How fitting that TMR’S 300th article is a premiere from an amazing band?! No disrespect to the awesome music I’ve premiered before, I didn’t know of those bands before we communicated.  This instance however…..I’ve been following The Ritual Aura shortly after the debut was released and have an emotional connection and already know the band.  I am extremely honored and excited with permission from the guys to premiere their first single from their upcoming album “Velothi” titled “Elysian Flesh-Divinity”.  The Ritual Aura still bring the heat, don’t worry people.  And how freaking sweet is that we got this track, just in time for their monthly artist showcase for this month? Dumb luck I gotta say, but awesome! What I dig about the band is their personal will, and listening to their own artistic desires and what to write…..their guitarist Levi personally told me that “this album has been no-rules so far as writing goes”.  Well hot dang, are they EVER accomplishing that.

Maybe you all might give them the Irreversible Mechanism treatment, but open your ears and minds people.  It took me a few listens to come around to “Immersion”, and to understand their sound and mission as artists.  I love “Infinite Fields”, but the second album is a different sound I legit had to “immerse” (HA HA) myself in it and be taken away figuratively to another world.

In regards to The Ritual Aura, it’s not as “tech” as their previous work….but I’ll be damned. It’s a progressive, melodic adventure with SO MANY LAYERS! Strings, singing, and shredly guitar work from their amazing duo.  There’s a bit of black metal influence here channeling their inner Immortal or Dissection and that raw black metal sound Opeth had on their first 3 albums.  I love it, because it’s different.  TRA never had a black metal sound I’ve seriously noticed until now…..and I love it.  I didn’t need a few listens to enjoy the new song…..I think it was a great change in pace from their wildly technical sound, and something more melodic with some black metal and strings mixed in for a wild song.  I hope you all enjoy the track as much as I did!