Auralayer Premiere “Wall to Wall”; Into the Aura Lair Out Dec. 4
Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on September 14th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Auralayer release their new album Into the Aura Lair on Dec. 4. The Greenville, North Carolina, trio debuted three years ago with Thousand Petals (review here) on King Volume Records, and like that record, the nine-song/33-minute Into the Aura Lair arrives with production by Philip Cope of the reactivated Kylesa as bassist/vocalist Jake Williams and guitarist Thomas Powell welcome new drummer Harold Smith with a collection of tunes that builds momentum quickly and doesn’t look back, careening through “Saldo” (after that mini noise wash at the outset for an intro), “Tantalus” and the particularly crunching “Wall to Wall” (premiering below) before they even come up for air amid the proggier lead at the start of “Survival.” Their sound is an amalgam of modern heavy, and one can hear elements of Red Fang, Torche, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol and Mastodon, among others, with a spaciousness in the guitar solos that hints toward psychedelia while staying grounded and keeping the focus on impact.
The songwriting on Thousand Petals was sharp, and Into the Aura Lair follows suit with vibrant groove and no time to waste. They convey and carry energy through not only the early part of the album, but in a dynamic threaded across the entirety, as “Down From Evil Eyes” plays off an almost Weezery chug early but finishes with a swirl of guitar and double-kick bass, having already taken its riff and bashed you over the head with it for two minutes. This lets the subsequent “Mythomania” arrive strumming as the source of the Mastodon comparison above, but explodes into a Torcheier rush and punker melody, so again, it’s about the blend, and even more than on the debut, with Into the Aura Lair, one can hear Auralayer carving their own persona from their influences. And as much as that persona is ‘attack attack attack’ in terms of how the songs come at you as a listener, it’s also a hell of a lot of fun to keep up with the onslaught, and the way Williams‘ vocals stand astride the riff convey a focus on melody and are an accessible in ways that provide an unspoken benefit to the material.
“Layers Beneath” follows “Mythomania” with a more angular foundation, 
but still the motion is forward and still, momentum is on the band’s side. They harness a shove, sure enough, but Into the Aura Lair‘s only instrumental inclusion highlights technique in a different way and its turns speak to an underpinning of metal — one might say in the layers beneath (!) — while also breaking to an engagingly deep and proggy feeling soundscape that’s working double to set up how the album ends a short time later. They make their way back from “out there” (which is in quotes because “the truth is…”) and push “Layers Beneath” into a linear, forward-moving finish, shifting immediately into “Stuck on a Spike,” which doesn’t really need to reorient or redirect from the song before it, but brings back the vocals and has that effect anyway, and feels purposefully catchy in the doing as the burn ground through two minutes of verses and chug and solo for the last of them, burning a hole in your brain to let the bad juju out.
That just leaves closer “Dead Arrival” to finish, and the slowdown is immediate but the tension is still there. A layer of acoustic guitar in the intro reinforces the Mastodony foundation and the thicker roller of a riff that follows reaffirms it, but the verse itself has more breadth than crunch, and that’s a first on Into the Aura Lair, which is fair enough since the song’s also by far the longest on the album at 6:40. The debut also ended with a broader reach, and “Dead Arrival” isn’t trying to fix what wasn’t broken. Ultimately, it’s a blend (there’s that word again) of elements presented throughout, but with a push leveled up enough to feel like it’s in league with the rad RPG-esque Alexey Gorboot cover art and a coinciding sense of ‘boss fight.’ It’s a full-on finish, but even in that, the guitar solo finds a shimmer like aughts-era Devin Townsend and especially as the final statement they make, it seems to be a signal of more to come as they bring it to a wash and then drop to a silence that much heavier for how it arrives.
On the player below, you’ll find the aforementioned premiere of “Wall to Wall,” which threatens lumber and pummels quick, laced with attitude and, though it’s one of just three songs on the album over four minutes long alongside “Dead Arrival” and “Layers Beneath,” it captures the intensity of Into the Aura Lair and the poise that Auralayer maintain in their delivery even as they’re merrily shredding and crushing any and everything in their path.
I know mid-Sept. is early to review an album that comes out Dec. 4, but (1:) if you’re the type to preorder, that doesn’t matter and (2:) I take the opportunities I get, so (3:) if you want to call this a really long album announcement, fine. Either way, enjoy the song and perhaps after doing so, keep an eye out for more from Into the Aura Lair between now and the release date:
Auralayer, “Wall to Wall” track premiere
Pre-order: https://auralayer.bandcamp.com
Far too many heavy rock and doom bands overlook that the classic progenitors of the genre were firmly rooted in strong melodic hooks, not just skull thwacking riffs. Greenville, SC trio Auralayer bring pop melodies to the forefront of their sound, ensuring that the heaviness hits with exceptional impact.
Into the Aura Lair, the anticipated followup to Auralayer’s 2023 debut full length, Thousand Petals (King Volume Records) is heavy, fun and unpredictable. Think YOB, Torche and The Sword blended with 90s alt rock akin to Hum: Huge riffs pummeling through huge amplifiers, precise cannon like drums, and melodies that stick with you.
Guitarist Thomas Powell zeroes in on slamming High on Fire riffs counterbalanced with Hendrix psychedelic flourish and open-tuned alt-rock shimmer. Bassist/vocalist Jake Williams lays down sludgy, growling lows while his soaring, clean vocals hit powerful highs. The album is the first to feature new drummer Harold Smith, who brings a harder hitting style to their sound than heard previously.
To help them harness their energetic musical vision, the band once again recruited Philip Cope, the founder of the experimental metal band Kylesa, who also engineered, mixed, and mastered their debut album at Jam Room Recording Studio in Columbia, SC. As with Kylesa, Cope helped to capture and channel the band’s diverse influences and experimentation into a cohesive sonic palette.
“Phil has had a huge influence on me as an artist,” says Powell, “so it was great having him around. He’s just as passionate about our music as we are, so it almost feels like he’s part of the band. And since he’s worked on so many cool projects, like the first Baroness album, he has so many cool perspectives and great attention to detail, and that really helps us capture the sound we were going for.”
Into the Aura Lair will be available digitally on December 4th, 2026.
Tracklisting:
1. Saldo
2. Tantalus
3. Wall to Wall
4. Survival
5. Down From Evil Eyes
6. Mythomania
7. Layers Beneath
8. Stuck on a Spike
9. Dead Arrival
Into the Aura Lair
All songs written and performed by Auralayer
Engineered/Mixed by Phillip Cope at Jam Room Studios
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege
Cover Art by Alexey Gorboot
Auralayer are:
Thomas Powell – Guitar
Jake Williams – Vocal/Bass
Harold Smith – Drums
