Full Album Stream: Vaura: The Missing – new album

I didn’t know how to approach New York-based progressive metal band VAURA (for no particular reason), until I’ve read Heather Phares' (AllMusic) description of their music: “Wishing to balance metal's masculine precision with more feminine-inspired atmospheres and emotions, VAURA features singer/guitarist Josh Strawn [BLACKLIST and RELIGIOUS TO DAMN], guitarist Kevin Hufnagel [GORGUTS and  DYSRHYTHMIA], bassist Toby Driver [KAYO DOT and MAUDLIN OF THE WELL], and drummer Charlie Schmid [also RELIGIOUS TO DAMN].” Apparently the scale tipped toward the “feminine-inspired atmospheres and emotions” too much this time, since Emperor Rhombus from the masculine metal portal MetalSucks deemed ‘The Missing’ “a decent goth album, but one that is devoid of what makes black metal captivating” (more here). Anyhow, to each his/hers own, and you can judge for yourselves since the album is being streamed if full here (Pitchfork) until its release on November the 12th, 2013 on Profound Lore Records. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by KRALLICE's Colin Marston at The Thousand Caves, the album features artwork by LOCRIAN's Terence Hannum and, gorgeously packaged in a gatefold wallet sleeve with 10 double-sided colour artwork panels and a protective CD sleeve, awaits your order here (Profound Lore store):

VAURA, whose sound everybody agrees it’s difficult to pin down yet some find it influenced by the darker and more brooding moments of the classic '80s goth/darkwave combined with progressive metal, first performed live in Autumn 2011, mere weeks before their full-length debut, ‘Selenelion’, was released on Weird Records:

VAURA features: Josh Strawn – vocals and guitar, Kevin Hufnagel – guitar, Charlie Schmid – drums and Toby Driver - bass