Na Santa Paz da Aurora
by Lumnos

released: 05/01/2025
runtime: 28:08
genres: blackgaze, dream pop

review written: 18/12/2025
listened: 11x

★★★★☆

Lumnos, a Brazilian two-man band, have been releasing music since 2015, and Na Santa Paz da Aurora is a celebration of a decade of the band’s existence. It’s the first record of theirs I listened to, and I think it’s a wonderful introduction to the band. The story of this EP is inspired by Amyr Klink, and the connection is clear. It’s incredibly easy to see how the blinding nature of all the snow in Antarctica and the acts themselves of adventuring and discovery inspired the melodies and timbre of sound present on this EP. (Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the lyrics of this release because I do not speak Brazilian Portuguese and I cannot find any lyrics online).

Lumnos describes themselves as “celestial black metal”, and, whilst being more about earthly adventures than cosmic ones, Na Santa Paz da Aurora really shows how the band leans into the blinding contrast of stars against the dark background of space. Sonically, this EP is a beautiful combination of blackgaze and electronic elements; the blackgaze serving to create a wonderful sense of atmosphere and the electronic elements cutting through to add a striking brightness to the release. They contrast brilliantly, and I think the title track shows this perfectly. The song starts with stunning electronic melodies, before letting the blackgaze and textures associated with it take centre stage, quieting down into a sort of interlude before a brilliant explosion of sound at the end, all whilst maintaining a very busy sound which makes it an exciting listen every time.

The whole EP is like this: there’s so much going on in every song that you can focus on something different every time. Effects like echo and reverb are utilised superbly; the lyrics, melody lines, guitar lines and use of percussion constantly weave through each other to create an extremely lush, uplifting sound. Overall, the main theme of this release is definitely the brightness coming from the melodies and textures, which is only furthered by the dazzling cover.

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