If the metal music from northeast India pleases you, then The Luminary Aura is the band that gratifies you the most. Based in Diphu, these guys emerged into the scene in 2017, and since then impressed people with their craft. Today I'm here to talk about their latest release "Lost".
Beginning with lo-fi drums, the track builds up to a catchy djent styled riff with ambient leads in the back. The main riff seems to transition into the deathcore domain (which I'm totally in for). Followed by this is the chorus with clean vocals, channeling the melody with the ambient stuff it was building throughout. Midway through the song, it puts its dynamic elements to side and takes a calmer route. This is the section where the song really elevates itself to a higher dimension, hitting you in the heart. The guitar solo in the later-half is melodious with catchy phrasing, which bleeds into the deathcore-ish section again, and ending the song with a reverse ambient prospect.
The song structure is not too complex or nuanced. Being progressive to its core, it never becomes too technical to lose its melody or emotion. There's no denying that modern prog/djent requires a high production value by today's standard (Death Metal guys will get along with an inferior product and honestly, no one would even complain!). The drums and the guitar tone really shines for me in the track. The Ambience, be it with leads, vocals or synth, perfectly fits in the song, giving it the ethereal vibe. The vocals with the high screams and the lows sounds absolutely brutal. Clean singing is always a hit or a miss for me. It kind of works in some places and in a few places, it kind of doesn't (like chorus).
"Lost" tells the story of a man being trapped in a sisyphean dimension trying to escape, breaking free from desolation and torment. This song puts you as the protagonist, and transports you to that realm where you experience "Breaking away from the point of existence". With small bits and cracks, I wouldn't even complain as the musical journey is more valuable, and The Luminary Aura have proven themselves to be good songwriters and storytellers.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Website: The Luminary Aura
Genre: Progressive Metal
Worldwide Release: March 22nd, 2021.
