Metal Storm logo
Whales And Aurora - The Shipwreck review




Bandcamp music player
Reviewer:
8.0

13 users:
7.15
Band: Whales And Aurora
Album: The Shipwreck
Release date: May 2012


01. Refused Recounting Words
02. Achieving The Unavoidable
03. The Aground Hard-Ship
04. Abandoned Among Echoes
05. Awakened By The Aurora
06. A New Awareness
07. Floating On Calm Waters

What? An eclectic mix of doom, post, gaze, and psychedelic influences based around a nautical theme? To quote Homer J Simpson, "Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. "

The Shipwreck marks the debut of the Italian seafaring quintet, Whales And Aurora.

Musically these mariners are much more akin to their Netherlander counterparts in Ortega than the German disciples of Melville, although Ahab seems to have turned in this direction as well.

The songs and the album itself build, ebb, and flow based primarily around the regularly charted waters of the prototypical post-metal build up, only W&A seem to execute it more convincingly than most the similar releases I've reviewed. Both songs and the album in general also fall away to quiet, serene sections.

Much like the sea itself, the album is a mix of tranquil beauty and raging waters.

Some of the tracks feature raw-throated, hoarse shouted vocals espousing Sartre-esque views on consuming a steady diet of negativity and, thus, accepting angst. Give the band credit for deviating from the obvious shipwreck-centric lyrics one might expect.

The remainder of the tracks, "The Aground Hard-ship", "Awakened By The Aurora", and "Floating On Calm Waters" (a beautiful album closer) are instrumental pieces.

Truthfully, on the port side they aren't doing anything that hasn't been done before. However on the starboard side, the whole thing is just crafted and performed well enough that it didn't matter terribly much at all to me that they were happy to sail around the Adriatic rather than head for that dark, unexplored corner of the metal map which warns "There be dragons!"

The first effort from Whales And Aurora is about as enjoyable as a booze cruise? a shipwreck of a release it is not.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 9





Written on 26.10.2012 by BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009.


Comments

Comments: 22   Visited by: 230 users
26.10.2012 - 07:16
Susan
Smeghead
Such a gorgeous album! And no, it's not technically anything "new" but it feels new to some degree. The particular way they blend these genres doesn't remind me of any other bands. It's a breath of fresh air for fans of varied post metal, I'd say. A big one.

And yes, atmosphere! The nautical theme is so very evident in the music. "Much like the sea itself, the album is a mix of tranquil beauty and raging waters." Perfectly said.
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
Loading...
26.10.2012 - 22:12
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
The cover Reminds me of Alaska .

Cool shiz, cool review.
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
Loading...
26.10.2012 - 22:13
Uldreth

I need to check this out.

Damn, so many things to check out (or listen to more) and so little time.
Loading...
26.10.2012 - 23:17
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Susan on 26.10.2012 at 07:16

Such a gorgeous album! And no, it's not technically anything "new" but it feels new to some degree. The particular way they blend these genres doesn't remind me of any other bands. It's a breath of fresh air for fans of varied post metal, I'd say. A big one.


I totally hear a not so good Cult Of Luna when I play Whales And Aurora. Fun quite good stuff with potential, which isn't there by a long shot (f.e. Ortega are a ong way ahead as of course are the band they sound most like, Cult Of Luna) which I rated a 7.3
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
27.10.2012 - 00:46
Rating: 7
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
This one has been on my navigational chart for a while now Another fine review Craig.
----
rekt
Loading...
27.10.2012 - 12:39
Rating: 8
BloodTears
ANA-thema
I like nautical and everything you described. Deeply intrigued by this one.
----
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
Loading...
27.10.2012 - 13:31
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Doom, post, gaze, and psychedelic you say? Sounds too intriguing to not check out, will add this to my "to listen to list" for sure.
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
Loading...
27.10.2012 - 14:14
malaikat

Sounds disturbingly like Cult Of Luna. Being that CoL postponed their album till the beginning of 2013 - just what I needed!
Loading...
27.10.2012 - 15:05
Valentin B
Iconoclast
No whales on the cover, not a masterpiece.
Loading...
28.10.2012 - 01:54
Nosurper
Stinky Lips
Sounds headier than a simple shipwreck and worthwhile it seems. Good stuff.
----
Loading...
28.10.2012 - 03:08
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Valentin B on 28.10.2012 at 03:59

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.10.2012 at 03:50

Written by Valentin B on 27.10.2012 at 15:05

No whales on the cover, not a masterpiece.


I think you should look better, because there certainly is whale on the cover

oh dammit, it's that thing on the right. MASTERPIECE


yep, right top end corner

masterpiece NOPE, at least not yet
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
28.10.2012 - 03:50
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Valentin B on 27.10.2012 at 15:05

No whales on the cover, not a masterpiece.


I think you should look better, because there certainly is whale on the cover
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
28.10.2012 - 03:59
Valentin B
Iconoclast
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.10.2012 at 03:50

Written by Valentin B on 27.10.2012 at 15:05

No whales on the cover, not a masterpiece.


I think you should look better, because there certainly is whale on the cover

oh dammit, it's that thing on the right. MASTERPIECE
Loading...
28.10.2012 - 07:09
Susan
Smeghead
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.10.2012 at 03:50

Written by Valentin B on 27.10.2012 at 15:05

No whales on the cover, not a masterpiece.


I think you should look better, because there certainly is whale on the cover


Dude, good eye. I missed that completely!!
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
Loading...
28.10.2012 - 14:25
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Susan on 28.10.2012 at 07:09



Dude, good eye. I missed that completely!!


Thank God for glasses
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
28.10.2012 - 16:32
MyNameJeff

Good review, awesome album
Loading...
29.10.2012 - 04:40
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.10.2012 at 03:08

Written by Valentin B on 28.10.2012 at 03:59

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.10.2012 at 03:50

Written by Valentin B on 27.10.2012 at 15:05

No whales on the cover, not a masterpiece.


I think you should look better, because there certainly is whale on the cover

oh dammit, it's that thing on the right. MASTERPIECE


yep, right top end corner

masterpiece NOPE, at least not yet


Maybe I need stronger glasses but how did you quote Valentin there when he posted 50 minutes after it says you quoted him
Loading...
29.10.2012 - 05:22
Susan
Smeghead
Daylight savings?

Really weird...
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
Loading...
29.10.2012 - 12:30
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by R'Vannith on 29.10.2012 at 04:40



Maybe I need stronger glasses but how did you quote Valentin there when he posted 50 minutes after it says you quoted him


Like Susan said, some sort of weird bug which has to do with daylight saving last weekend.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
29.10.2012 - 12:41
IronAngel

Whalecore is gaining ground, though it seems bands are deviating from the true core of the genre.

It occurs me a power metal band should totally write a concept album about Free Willy. Why should there just be a land of the free?

I agree this sounds a lot like CoL. Competent stuff, though it'll probably be just a blip on the radar by the end of the year. Hilarious review.
Loading...
29.10.2012 - 13:44
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Written by IronAngel on 29.10.2012 at 12:41

Whalecore is gaining ground


Gaining ground... That can't be good for the whales
Loading...
06.04.2015 - 13:41
ArchaicSoul

It's a shame that the vocals are so unvaried and quickly impede on the greatness of this album. Despite how simple many parts of it seem, the atmosphere seems more monumental with every listen. I'm to the point where I'm scared to listen again for fear of the experience potentially declining. Sneak in a few old Giant Squid tunes(lol) and you really do have a masterpiece.
Loading...

Hits total: 6366 | This month: 8