Reeking Aura — Blood and Bonemeal (Profound Lore)

Blood And Bonemeal by REEKING AURA

It would risk risibility to call Reeking Aura’s new LP Blood and Bonemeal “meat-and-potatoes death metal.” The record includes songs titled “Grublust” and “A Vegetative Mush That Melts among the Shelves Lined with Meats of Indeterminate Origin” (only in death metal…). All that verbal info likely communicates the band’s prevailing interest in sodden, organic spew; if not, here are a couple representative snatches of lyrics: “A swamp of swirling fumes that turns within my stomach / Like the halls of open rooms / The fluids flood and rummage” and, “It smells like a wet dog / Or is that just my breath?” Gorges tremble, and “meat-and-potatoes” is off the lexical menu. But the phrase is also ill-suited to capturing what’s appealingly idiosyncratic about the record. Reeking Aura provides plenty of claustrophobic riffs and gruff, gastric growls, but the band’s musical sensibility is also oddly interested in more mellifluous melody and something akin to — dare one say it — beauty.

The record’s title track does the boil-and-churn, musical gross-out we’re all now used to — we even like it. Reeking Aura’s three guitarists (Ryan Lipynsky, also a longtime member of the excellent Unearthly Trance, and Terrell Grannum and Rick Habeeb, both of the sublimely named Buckshot Facelift) rage with roustabout energy, and there’s some fairly acrobatic soloing. Then, after three-and-a-half minutes of bile and blast, the song suddenly quiets. A gently strummed guitar starts to intone, lugubriously, over fluttering, keening atmospherics. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before, but it’s well done, a sudden shift in musical mood that has some stomachy impact. 

The strange thing is how often Reeking Aura pulls off that maneuver — or rather, what’s strange is the frequency with which they do it, and the persistence of its success. It should be repetitive, too predictable: loud, then quiet; awful, then mournfully lovely. But it continues to occur, as a sort of cadence on the record’s sequencing and macro-structure, and it makes Blood and Bonemeal into a curious, frequently compelling experience. Eventually the band even seems to poke fun at its own penchant: the whole second half of “Pyramid-Shaped Plow / The Caretaker” is dominated by gentle string-work, briefly opening to the sort of spandex-clad antics that dance close to 1990s’ hair-metal heroics. It should be cloying or stale. Perversely, it’s good. 

Reeking Aura has style, for miles and miles, a lot of them marked by peculiar pathways. Check out the cover art for Blood and Bonemeal: when’s the last time you saw a death metal record featuring watercolors? The surreal flow and wash of earth tones and pastels, suggesting a scene both sylvan and nightmarishly grotesque, captures the record’s stimulating, agreeably skewed environment. Rotting rat’s guts, liquidating fleshy fare, the squelch of warm, feculent mud up through holes in your boots — they’re all there. So is a pretty sunrise. That’s life. And death metal, apparently. 

Jonathan Shaw

Nim is half Indian so enjoying this culture's flavorful food is a must. India was home to the spice trade, right? #grublust #allyoucaneat #buffet #ocfoodies #curry #chickenmasala #garlicnaan #korma #chutney #foodie #foodporn #foodoftheday #foodblogger #foodlover #foodstagram #fooddiary #foodgawker #dailyfoodfeed #foodgasm (at Royal Rasoi)

Strolled in on a Sunday to enjoy this poblano pepper stuffed with carnitas on an iron skillet! @ricardosplace in #sanjuancapistrano #poblano #chilerelleno #mexicanfood #carnitas #brunch #grublust #ironskillet #letsgrub #favor #delicioso #ocfoodies (at RICARDO'S PLACE RESTAURANT)

#charcuterie #tapas #grublust #entertaininstyle #dinnerparty #spanishnight

We adore Thai food. A flaming bowl of Tom Kha Ghai spicy style. Rich coconut flavor with hints of lemongrass. #tomkhagai #costamesa #ocfoodies #grublust #soup #warmth #cozy #oc #coconut #lemongrass #spice (at George's Thai Bistro)

@villalasestrellas #tulum #tulummexico #honeymoon #freshcut #freshfruit #papaya #strawberry #starfruit #watermelon #pineapple #blackberry #cantaloupe #melon #breakfast #breakfastbythebeach #grublust (at VILLA LAS ESTRELLAS)

I never knew much about wine. I can remember wine tasting and thinking these are all the same. As a matter of fact 2 buck chuck or wine from the 7/11 worked for me. Then I met my husband. He really enjoys wine. The aroma, the texture, the elegance and richness as it tintilates the tongue. Wine tasting with him is an elegant experience full of curiosity and joy. @stackedstonecellars #wine #grublust #pasorobles #winetasting #zinfandel #handcrafted #vineyard #zinstone #handsome #hothubby (at Stacked Stone Cellars)

The Dixit's come to Dixie. Nim and I came to my hometown, Nashville, TN for a taste of the south. Now you can't come here without eating some BBQ. The cornbread is to die for. Y'all come back now y' hear? #bbq #collards #greensbeans #cornbread #dressing #stuffing #sausage #pulledpork #tangy #grublust #nashville #tennessee (at Moe's Original Bar B Que- Downtown Franklin, TN)

This is our favorite spot for fish tacos! We are here at least once a week. They have a great salsa bar and a fine selection of craft beer @lasirenagrill_south #grublust #fishtacos #craftbeer #salsabar #beerbatteredfish #datelunch #lagunabeach #californiacuisine #treasureislandbeach #southlaguna (at La Sirena Grill - South Laguna)

Post party late night / early morning ramen. Happy 50th @garyhjung and congratulations on your engagement to @jenciemiller! 💍 #latenight #ramen #engaged #sandiego #love #grublust #50thbirthday #chashu #noodles #soup #tonkotsu (at Tajima)

Crab Benny @searsucker. Carb-free! This dish literally melts in your mouth. #grublust #brunchdate #love #eggsbenedict #sandiego #gaslampdistrict #brunch #sundaybrunch (at Searsucker San Diego)

The Matt Cain sandwich. Happy to have a taste of NorCal down here!#ikessandwiches #dirtysauce #grublust #newportbeach #ocfoodies #sandwich #lunch #happy #sf #mattcain #norcal (at Ike's Love and Sandwiches)

Oysters, shrimp, mahi nachos and brussel sprouts like candy. What a great Saturday happy hour! Labor day weekend @spikesonbroadway . . . . #hh #sandiego #gaslampdistrict #labordayweekend #grublust #oysters #sd #whitesangria #shrimp #happyhour #happy #love #spikeafricas (at Spike Africa's Fresh Fish Grill & Bar)

#grublust #dippingsauce #latenightsnack #burger #frenchfries #greenbeans #ocfoodies Too hungry to cook (at Crow Burger Kitchen)