Aura Noire

Norway's Aura Noir was formed in 1993 by Aggressor and Apollyon in pursuit of a more thrash-based form of black metal than much of what was coming out at the time, particularly in their homeland. They cited bands such as Slayer, Sodom and Kreator, along with Venom, as inspirations for a dirtier, stripped-down, violent black/thrash metal sound.

Their first official release was the Dreams Like Deserts EP on Hot Records, and from there the band became a truly cult act, releasing a string of albums alongside ongoing live performances over the subsequent decades.

Originally released in 2018, Aura Noire was the band's sixth and, to date, final album. Incorporating ideas beyond pure raw black thrash, it included more progressive elements while remaining firmly grounded in dirty 80s thrash metal.