Muscular English space rock outfit
Litmus' third full-length offering expands on the
Hawkwind-meets-
My Bloody Valentine template set by 2007's excellent
Planetfall. More streamlined and compact than its predecessor,
Aurora features eight tracks relentlessly stacked with thick slabs of guitar and Mellotron that relegate the vocals to second seed, resulting in a syrupy mix of punk rock brutality and shoegaze melody. The band's penchant for dressing up each tune in a power pop dinner jacket with a heavy metal overcoat is an effective one, allowing the hooks to sink in ("Beyond the Sun," "Ma:55°N Rift," and "Red Skies" are all over ten minutes long) early enough to sustain the entire track. If
Aurora suffers from anything, it's the dependence on the ubiquitous laser sweep (a grand but limited effect), which is used as punctuation with the subtlety of a carnival barker. Hard-hitting 21st century space rock may not be as fashionable as its myriad siblings progressive, stoner, ambient, and doom metal, but
Litmus make a strong argument for its ascension.