SHADOW BORDER

Dutch The Aurora Project started in 1999, the music was based on having hours of jam sessions. The band its debut was released worldwide in 2006 by Dutch record company DVS Records and was also worldwide highly praised for its 'unique sound'. After releasing the album, they went on tour in order to promote the album. The Aurora Project was invited twice (2005 and 2008) for the prestigious Dutch Progpower Festival, played Dutch Symforce and German Deichbrand Festival, went on tour in Holland and Belgium with Riverside and Van Den Plas and were the support-act of Pain of Salvation, RPWL and Treshold. In 2007 a dream came true for the band when they played a sold-out Paradiso Amsterdam, for 1500 people. In 2008 The Aurora Project went into the studio to record their second album 'Shadow Border'. The album was released worldwide 5th May 2009 by the legendary USA progrock label The Laser's Edge, that successfully launched acts like Riverside, Zero Hour and Knight Area in the past.

On their second album Shadow Border the Dutch The Aurora Project deliver seven melodic compositions that alternate between Heavy Prog, neo-prog and symphonic rock. The music features strong guitar work (lots of howling, sensitive and harder-edged guitar solos along exciting propulsive riffs), decent English vocals and a very pleasant keyboard layering. There is also often a huge tension between the dreamy parts with twanging guitars, soaring keyboards and emotional vocals and the more bombastic, heavy and up-tempo parts with powerful guitar leads and sumptuous keyboards. My highlight is the final epic composition Shadow Border (almost 17 minutes) that showcases The Aurora Project in its full splendour. It starts with Floydian guitar work, then a catchy beat with fiery guitar and a very dynamic rhythm- section, at some moments the atmosphere is close to prog metal. Halfway a part with thunderous drums that support a flashy synthesizer solo, followed by a dreamy climate with warm vocals and twanging acoustic guitars. This turns into a prog metal atmosphere with impressive choir-Mellotron eruptions. The final part delivers a howling guitar solo, lush keyboards and strong drum beats, this is Prog Heaven!

What a very professional and wonderful sounding effort by this Dutch band, it's good to read that The Aurora Project still appeals to many progheads who like their dynamic, modern and melodic progrock.