Hey there tech fiends, it's that time of the week again. This time there's yet another early exclusive in this space for you to dig into. But before we dive into today's song premiere from The Ritual Aura, here's the usual reminder that if you're looking for more cool new bands, all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
Australia's own The Ritual Aura is a group I've been covering since their inception. In this very column alone, I did an early song premiere and then, later on, the full stream, for their 2016 album, Tæther. So it's exciting to help them once again with today's premiere for a new song called "Keening III: Dreamer's End". The song comes from their upcoming effort, Velothi. Which was originally slated for release this year as an EP, but is now being expanded into a full-length that will drop in 2018 instead. So to tide over the fans, and showcase the band's evolution in the interim, we've got "Keening III: Dreamer's End" to jam out to.
Right off the bat, the song kicks off with a muscular deathly groove, before raining down a layer of slick leads and solos help guide the song down a chaotic and choppy path, which is somewhat different for them, but in a good way. At various points in "Dreamer's End", the composition is enhanced by orchestral elements crafted by the band's members themselves, and also by some fantastic guest spots from fretless guitarist Fountainhead who has multiple zany solos on the song, and the band's guitarist Levi Dale also has several solos on the track too. Then some nasty guest vocals from Virulent Depravity mastermind Colin Butler pop up during two separate points of the track. Their two guest musician contributions alone add a lot to the song, but there's a lot more from additional guests such as Ryan Cho who adds violin/viola, additional backing vocals from Zac Kay, and a beautiful guest harp spot from Sarah Choy that helps end the song on a graceful and epic note.
The word that best describes "Keening III: Dreamer's End" is bombastic, and damn does this song embody that concept expertly. I'd say this song is a sign of good things to come for what Velothi has in store when it drops in 2018. I was excited for it already, but even more so after hearing this song. So be sure to follow The Ritual Aura over on their Facebook page. You can listen to, and purchase, their two prior albums through The Ritual Aura Bandcamp page as well.
