I0 EARTH

Aura

BA new spin from West Midlands’ symphonic prog mainstays.

irmingham symphonic proggers IO Earth have long applied an independent mantra to their output that yields strong results. This is said, not to patronise the group, who are led by the creative partnership of Dave

Cureton (guitars, vocals) and Adam Gough (keys, vocals), but more to highlight the quality of their accomplishments. Their fifth LP, Aura doesn’t sound like a DIY album. It’s a spacious, breathy collection: tightly executed, yet with enough room in the mix to feel the bass drum thump.

Their last release, 2018’s Solitude, was a sometimes claustrophobic listen inspired by mental health conditions. On Aura, the likes of Breathe nod to that history, but the songs here sound like they’ve spent a lot more time outside. Where there were once metallic riffs and solos, there’s now a maturing ear for arrangement, cleverly incorporating the band’s string and wind capabilities among operatic vocal samples. It’s a slower burning record, not exactly ambient, but at points (Resonance I, Circles) legitimately occupying the territory between their symphonic prog roots and the likes of Nosound. It’s further proof that IO Earth won’t stand still.