Auras was formed back in 2007 in Brazil. It features Gui Oliver – lead vocals, Ferpa Lacerda – guitars and background vocals, Edu Sallum – drums and percussion with help from Matheus Brandon – guitars and background vocals and Hemerson Vieira – bass to record this debut album. Frontiers' own Dennis Ward handles mixing and production.
Listening to the opening of first song "Beauty Of Dreams" will transport you back in time to the Eighties when Journey, Survivor, Toto and Styx were at their peak. In the vocals department Gui Oliver bears more than a passing resemblance to Steve Perry and combined with their style means thst without any additional information to tell you otherwise you might think you were listening to a new Journey album. Considering how slick Journey albums sound that is quite an achievement on a debut album.
Stylewise this is a good fit for me and I found myself enjoying the "pleasant" listening experience. The quality of the songs is consistently 'above average' throughout making it difficult to pick out individual tracks for special mention. "Never Give Up", "Reach Out" and "Hungry Hearts" were one that just edged ahead of the rest for me.
Overall my reaction to this album is positive and I think these guys have met their objective of recreating the sound and style of their influences. In fact, it is quite a achievement for a debut album. If they are to stay the course, however, they need to build upon this solid foundation and to add a bit of their own personality on future releases.
Rating: 3 stars
