The Aurora Project -
Shadow Border


(CD 2009, 54:31, The Laser’s Edge 7-63252-10552-4)

The tracks:
  1- Human Gateway(07:37)
  2- The Trial(06:54)
  3- Photonic Reunion(04:34)
  4- The Confession(05:39)
  5- Another Dream(05:33)
  6- Witihn The Realms(07:47)
  7- Shadow Border(16:25)

The Aurora Project Website    samples    Laser's Edge Records


The second album of Dutch prog rockers The Aurora Project is - just like their debut - a concept album. Joost van den Broek, well known for his work with Ayreon and After Forever, produced and mixed the CD. No one less than the eminent sound engineer and Grammy Award winner Bob Katz did the mastering.

Shadow Border is one of the best no-nonsense progressive rock albums I have heard for a long time. Especially the title track is so brilliant that it is hard to believe that these guys hail from The Netherlands! Just listen to the amazing musical intro of the long epic title track Shadow Border and there’s only one thing you want: hear all of it. The diversity in this epic is just phenomenal. Above all guitar pickers Remco van den Berg and Marc Vooys really shine on that song with amazing guitar melodies, solos and riffs. Another musical highlight is Human Gateway, a prog metal beauty with the stunning vocals of Dennis Binnekade. The song reminded me of Riverside. You can enjoy the best guitar solo of the entire album in the rather dark and quiet song Within The Realms. In fact, all the songs are highlights, so it would be better to stop reviewing this album and ask you, as the reader of this review, to run to your music store and buy this album immediately. Shadow Border will definitely flaunt in my prog rock top-10 albums of 2009!

***** Martien Koolen (edited by Peter Willemsen)
Where to buy?






All Rights Reserved Background Magazine 2013