“There’s a magical feel… if the bleakness of the world outside is too much, hole up here and shut it all out”: Nightwish offshoot Auri return with III – Candles & Beginnings

Auri – III – Candles & Beginnings.

In troubled times it’s good to have bands who can hold a black mirror up to twisted reality – but there’s also a place for those who offer a haven of temporary relief. Finnish symphonic prog-metal titans Nightwish have always had a flair for the fantastical, and their prog-folk offshoot Auri offer a similar escapist vibe.

Their mystical flutterings are perhaps what should be expected from a project taking its name from a fantasy book series (The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss). ‘Far across the sea/A land of home we weave/ With songs of light we bridge the dark,’ croons vocalist Johanna Kurkela as they tiptoe in velvet shoes across The Invisible Gossamer Bridge, opening their third album.