Aornos are a new outfit by Tátrai ‘Algras’ Csaba, who’s (currently and previously) known as well from Hungarian bands like Frost, Bornholm or Carcharoth. The material for this debut release was written as from 1998 (!), and recorded in between 2009 and 2014. Eventually Aornos signed to Black Plague Records and Symbol Of Domination Productions, being once again a grandiose partnership, in order to release a great album.
Inspired by ‘old and new Sophisticated Elit(e) Black Metal Art’, Orior consists of ten own songs and a cover track, all together clocking more than one hour (!). After a non-inspired intro (the title track), Aornos performs a quite melodic and atmo-symphonic form of Black Metal, based on very energetic, powerful riffs, somewhat eccentric yet well-balanced melodies, and a well-thought vision on timelessness yet still focusing on tradition too… Quite important is the atmosphere, for Aornos sort of try to create an own approach, and you know, it does work! This project indeed come with an own face (going for most parts – not all of them), partially based on traditional evidences, yet then again including so many angles, and -do not deny this- loads of differing, eccentric, extra-ordinary details, and this from beginning to end.
At the other hand, besides all this eulogizing, I do miss some differentiation in between the different pieces, as well as a permanently fire-in-the-ass attitude that might define the intentions of malignancy, aggression and epic. Sometimes it goes way beyond imagination (a piece like Gelum –and there’s no need to deny this– truly goes beyond imaginary craftsmanship), but several pieces do not but exhale the prediction of the scene. But at the other hand, even in those cases, the average quality is at least somehow exceeding the average quality of many other bands / projects, and seen the fact that this isn’t but a very young one-man army… And actually, you know, the cool interventions and speed-changes are pretty nice for sure (amongst quite some other stuff)…
So, skip the crap, and admit: Orior is a fine piece of Extreme Black Metal, especially for the open-minded audience, with lots of surprises. I am sure the project needs some additional refinement and some new ideas, but the initial essence is quite impressive. Once again undersigned is eager to attend the next effort… Until then we’ll have to do with this lengthy piece, but I do not think it is a problematic data…
Oh yes, the band’s interpretation of Emperor’s Ensorcelled By Khaos; what to think about his? I am sure this shows the strength of this project fi-or sure!