Review by Felix on February 14, 2026.

With their second album “Im Schatten Der Bastion”, Auro have began to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with. But their first step was their self-titled debut, released in 2020. Somehow, it is a typical first album – its production does not make the material sound like a demo, but the mix is also not strong enough to deserve the biggest praise. It is a pretty crystal sound, impressive on the one hand, not very powerful on the other hand. But okay, a certain underground feeling as well as a clearly recognizable connection to the original spirit of the genre do not damage the overall picture. So the stylish gatefold vinyl does not suffer from bad sound, although it is quite blurred, and the drums are too loud from time to time.

Music-wise, we speak about typical German black metal that unites all its (not overly) different facets from Grabak to Mystic Circle. By contrast, the more sophisticated formations like Gràb or Geïst have not left their mark in the approach of Auro, and the same applies to comparatively progressive semi-legends like Naglfar. Anyway, the raw Teutonic way of blackness rules, and this means that the songs defy the production and do not lack density. Whenever the duo is able to create a good flow, for example in “Brodelnde Wasser – Rufe und Zeichen” or “Von Flammentod und Wiederkehr”, the full talent of the band becomes obvious. There is a sinister core in the sounds of Auro, which is supported by the intelligently used keyboards. Their lines do not characterize the songs,s and they are far away from turning the material into a sterile or fluffy something. Instead, the throaty vocals and the rapid drumming, as well as the drilling guitar,s shape the songs and give them an evil taste. Maybe one can call the band’s approach generic and non-innovative, but passion and dedication want to express themselves, and they do not ask whether others before them have done the same. As long as the guitar lines convince and the general atmosphere fills the given genre-frame, almost everything is acceptable, and from time to time, this way of proceeding leads to thrilling results; just dive deeply into the adventurous “Rammbock – Durchbruch zur Entmenschlichung” and enjoy its fury with all your senses.

It is no shame for debutantes, but for the sake of completeness, I have to mention that two or three standardized, not overly exciting sequences have found a place on this album. I am talking about parts like the somewhat tiring beginning of “Vision – Das allsehende Auge”. This can happen, even in the best families, and it is nothing that devalues the album significantly. Another minor criticism is the fact that it needs a handful of spins until the songs begin to develop their personality. But the individual soldiers in an army are also dressed in uniform and can still have a big impact with accurate weapons. That’s the case here. “Auro” is not able to force every opponent to their knees, but it can allow itself to be confident, because it is also not easy to defeat. Even a soldier who comes late to the battle (“Aura”) has a lot to say due to its profound mid-tempo guitar lines and the slightly dramatic keyboards.

But as we all know, every armed conflict comes to an end at some point, and after the 50 minutes of “Auro”, a peaceful calm coalesces with the vanishing battle smoke. What is left is the impression of a talented band that confirmed this first performance with its second work in the meantime. I admit the album is no must-have, but definitely worth listening to, and it enriches every vinyl (or CD) collection of a black metal supporter who loves the genre the way it is (and should be). And now, that we are already familiar with the successor of the debut, we know its almost best feature: the band does not worship this fool called Hubert Kah on “Auro”. Sometimes it feels just good to omit something.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10