Vaura’s “The Ruins (Hymne)” is a Haunting Journey Into Post-Rock from Members of Gorguts, Tombs, Kayo Dot and Azar Swan

Before we go any further, here’s the lineup of Vaura for those unfamiliar with the Brooklyn quartet:

Josh Strawn (Azar Swan): vocals, guitar, synthesizers
Kevin Hufnagel (Gorguts, Dysrhythmia): guitar
Toby Driver (Kayo Dot): bass
Charlie Schmid (Tombs): drums, electronics

Interesting, right? Evaluating at that lineup solely on its members past output, one might be inclined to guess that Vaura’s music isn’t as heavy as Gorguts or Tombs, but takes some kind of metal base into a proggy, or perhaps noisy, electronic realm.

But this is why we don’t judge books by their covers. Vaura’s music sounds nothing like any of the band’s members “day jobs,” instead mixing elements of new wave and krautrock into an ethereal blend of dark, pensive post-rock that sounds right at home in the current explosion of that kind of music coming out of the metal world (see also: ex-Coliseum leader Ryan Patterson’s Fotocrime). “Sables finds the band shedding most of its post-metal heaviness in favor of experiments with brooding kosmische musik and the more avant-garde elements of new wave,” says the press copy of the band’s new album. Sounds about right!

Metal does peek its head out here and there, mostly through Schmid’s double-bass flurries, but don’t expect anything too heavy here. Instead what we get is an absolutely fantastic song that will you take you there… wherever there is for you, that place in your head you go when, well, you know, when the music strikes you just right.

Sables will come out on April 26th via Profound Lore. No pre-order link yet, unfortunately.