Beyond Creation - The Aura

Published March 15 2012

*=Staff's pick	No Request For The Corrupted* Coexistence* Chromatic Horizon Omnipresent Perception Injustice Revealed Le Détenteur* The Aura* Social Disability Elevation Path The Deported

Genre	Tech./Prog. Death Metal	Simon Girard	Vocals
Tracks	10	Simon Girard	Guitar
Running time	52 Min.	Kévin Chartré	Guitar
Label	PRC	Dominic Lapointe	Bass
Release	12 April 2011	Guyot Begin-Benoit	Drums
Country	Canada	-	Keyboard
Producer	Christian Donaldson
Similar artists	The Faceless, Necrophagist, Decrepit Birth

The Aura is one of those records that you curse yourself for not knowing about in 2011 because it's such a crushing record. Progressive/technical death metal: either you dig the shit out of this type of music, or you don't. This is a fact. If you do like this kind of music, hopefully you already have heard this record, if not you have something truly great to look forward to.

Naturally the members all have a talent for playing technical as hell - there really isn't anything I can say about the performance other than it is top notch. Add the fact that Dominic Lapoint is playing on a fretless bass with skill, and you have another reason to check this band out.

Beyond Creation is, although being very technical, very aware not to step over the border that often makes this kind of music an affair for a select, rabid following. They're doing this with songs that make me clench my fists in ecstasy. Take No Request For The Corrupted for instance. This song offers, I'll go out on a limb here, something for everybody: riffs to kill for, brilliant playing, solos that make you swoon and a drive that takes your breath away. And Beyond Creation makes it all sound so perfectly easy that it's silly.

The Aura is, as you've guessed by now, a record that sank its hooks in me from the get go. And it really is a record that - right again - grows with each listening.

If you're into bands such as Decrepit Birth, The Faceless and Necrophagist you won't be disappointed. What makes The Aura a greater album than those bands' records is the fact that it's so solid: The songs are just so great, and it really feels that Beyond Creation is bringing something new to the table. What I'm most curious about, The Aura being the debut-record, is how the hell Beyond Creation is going to top this juggernaut of a record?

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
9	7	9	9	9

Summary
9 chalices of 10 - Martin