Scarlet Aura – Stormbreaker
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
She is often compared to the German metal queen Doro, the Romanian singer Aura Danciulescu. Long blonde hair, powerful voice and energetic live performances. With her band Scarlet Aura, she started to follow in the footsteps of Doro. They toured Europe as support of bands like Rhapsody Reunion, Beast in Black or Soto. The band was founded in 2014, back then under the name “Aura”. Since then, the Romanians have released three albums, one Live DVD and several singles. “Stormbreaker” will be released on the band’s own label Silver City Records in March.
The obligatory intro is called “The World Is Not Enough”. After the orchestral start, it picks up speed. Short break and you hear a short Power Metal anthem. So, you are attuned to the next nearly 50 minutes. But already with the first regular song “Metal Hell” it gets a lot heavier. Front belter Aura Danciulescu steps the first metal screams out. But afterwards it becomes quite hymn. The vocals are scratchy, but pleasant to listen to. The chorus invites you to sing along. And husband Mihai impresses for the first time with one of his guitar solos. “Battle Cry” is then a song in which the fans will certainly live bang their heads. A real neck-breaker. In the title song “Stormbreaker” it is then hymn again, with melodic hooks. And again ideal for singing along. With “Loose Cannon” the Romanians poach a little in old Manowar climes. I find the power ballad “High In The Sky” outstanding. With harsh screams by the blonde singer and an amazing guitar solo. Then “The Heretic” stamps out of the boxes. Here Aura screams the soul out, whipped by rhythmic drums and a powerful bass melody. This is probably the hardest and most thrashy song on the entire album. “A Blast From The Past” starts and ends with the playing of an old scratched gramophone record. In between there is pure power metal to be heard. And the mainstream “Scarlets United” could become a band anthem.
“Stormbreaker” is a worthy successor to “Hot’n’Heavy” (2018). It is really amazing how consistently the quartet from Romania keeps releasing top-class albums. Scarlet Aura need not shy away from comparison with Doro, both vocal and musical. But the band plays a tick harder than the German Metal Queen. And the vocals also differ, thanks to the scratchy and powerful voice. I’m already looking forward to the band’s live performance in Hamburg in March.
Scarlet Aura – High in the Sky: https://youtu.be/xg-4sWp_QzY
Lineup:
Aura Danciulescu – Lead Vocals
Mihai Danciulescu – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Rene Nistor – Bass guitar, Vocals
Doru Florin Gheorghita – Drums
Label: Silver City Records
Out: March 27th, 2020
Playing time: 54:36
Track list:
- The World Is Not Enough
- Metal Hell
- Battle Cry
- Stormbreaker
- Loose Cannon
- I Am The One
- High In The Sky
- The Heretic
- Daddy’s Lil Monster
- A Blast From The Past
- Scarlets United
Rating : 9.5/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
