Aurora By Noon is the solo rock project of the Austrian bass player and producer Markus Sumereder and was formed in 2021. The band features Adam Hayman on guitar, Alexandre Emidio on drums, Björn Mehler on vocals, Markus himself on bass and Mark Brown on keyboards. The album was mixed and mastered by Reinhard “Bux” Brunner from ATS Records and Lukas Wiltschko from LW Sonics.

Black Crosses In The Sun is the band’s debut album and was released on 28/02/2023.

The album takes the listener on a sonic journey through time as the album depicts the evolution of rock over the past few decades, blending in both classic and contemporary elements as it does so.

With its roots firmly in the classic rock genre, this is a great mix of styles, from soulful ballads to hard-hitting rock tracks, and everything in between, showing how diverse this band really is.

Musically, this album is awesome. The guitar work is classic in style, with hard riffs and clean solos and this is testament to the guitarists experience and talent. The drumming is energetic when it needs to be while more laid-back at other times and the drummers background in the metal genre is invaluable as he provides technical ability and style that perfectly compliments the rest of the band. This is all held together with melodic basslines that provide a solid foundation for the rest of the instruments. Markus provides the flawless balance of melody and rhythm, and his basslines are perfect for driving forward the songs.

Vocally, this album is immense. The singer’s voice is strong and powerful and so full of emotion and passion. His vocals have depth and texture and, as they are so captivating, they have a strong contribution to the overall sound of the band.

I had to reread the fact that this was the band’s debut album. The production is top notch and to think that these guys have only been playing together for a couple of years is actually quite hard to comprehend. Each musician obviously has his own place in the band, but together they sound absolutely amazing, and the guys have obviously built up a strong working relationship, resulting in a sound that seems like they have been together for decades.

If this album is anything to go by, I think this band has a great career ahead of them. I will certainly be keeping an ear out for anything new they record and will definitely be adding them to my Spotify playlist and following them on social media.

This is a great album, which has a mix of classic and modern rock sounds, that grabs the listener right from the off. So, if you are a fan of anything rock then please check these guys out. You will definitely not be disappointed.

Superb album!!

Track Listing:

1) Dirty Rules, Dirty Game

2) Black crosses In The Sun

3) Reasons

4) Go With The Flow

5) A Thousand Words, A Thousand Thorns

6) No more Crying

7) Sleepless

8) Floating Dead Wood

9) Under Pressure

10) When Dinosaurs Will Die

11) Thief In The Mirror

12) In The Shelter Of Mother Earth

This review is the property of The Metal Asylum