AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, will release their second album, “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of”, on September 3 via Nuclear Blast. The record will be the follow-up to AURI’s self-titled debut LP, which came out in March 2018 via Nuclear Blast.
The “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of” cover artwork comes once again from Janne “ToxicAngel” Pitkänen and bestows in its simplicity and depth.
The official lyric video for the disc’s second single, “The Valley”, can be seen below.
Holopainen comments on the track: “‘The Valley’ is an ode to homecoming. It’s about things worth a long wait, and about all the wondrous waypoints on the road. And while you’re wandering on that road, why not write a little tune to keep you company. A tune most delicate and hard to catch, but willing to reveal itself once you’ve made your journey, and have almost reached home.”
AURI began its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can’t be described by words alone. The first song born of this mindset, “Aphrodite Rising”, appeared in 2011.
Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (also of NIGHTWISH) cast their spells with various other instruments. Now complemented by the dynamic percussive talents of Kai Hahto (NIGHTWISH), the threesome carves fantastical worlds entirely their own.
With a total running time of 50 minutes, “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of” consists of 10 captivating tracks:
01. Those We Don’t Speak Of
02. The Valley
03. The Duty Of Dust
04. Pearl Diving
05. Kiss The Mountain
06. Light And Flood
07. It Takes Me Places
08. The Long Walk
09. Scattered To The Four Winds
10. Fireside Bard
AURI is:
Johanna Kurkela: Voices, viola
Tuomas Holopainen: Keys, backing voices
Troy Donockley: Acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices
Photo credit: Mikko Linnavuori
