Somewhere along the line the ethernet figured out that I really dig Stoner/Doom Metal bands from Italy. On one hand I find that a little creepy; on the other hand, I'm thankful for the service. I mean, when the algorithm learns to feed me underground Stoner/Doom from Italy, that's a cool thing. It also feeds me cat videos and hilarious fail videos, so I'm thinking AI might not be so evil. Anyway, that's how I first heard of DUNE AURORA, an all-female Stoner Metal band from Turin, Italy. One day they popped up in my feed, and I clicked. And now I have the entire DUNE AURORA catalogue. That's how they get you.  

DUNE AURORA formed in the year of our plague, 2020. Two years later they released their debut EP, Lonely Town. The four-track album has its moments. I mean, you can definitely hear the potential, but it's an uneven album. Over time the band trimmed down from a foursome to a trio and in June 2024 they released three singles. The very next month, perhaps on the strength of those singles, they signed with Argonauta Records. And now, some 18 months later, they're due to release their first full-length album, Ice Age Desert, on November 21. I received my review copy a few weeks ago and it's been stuck on repeat ever since. The distance this band has traveled since from their 2022 EP to this 2025 LP might as well be an Ice Age desert.

One of their 2024 singles, "Fire," is featured on the album, but the remaining eight tracks are all new material. Not sure if we'll ever see the other two 2024 singles on a full album, but they're easily attainable via bandcamp for the collectors out there. While DUNE AURORA is sometimes billed as a stoner rock band, Ice Age Desert has enough very heavy moments to easily push them in the metal realm. Vocals are all clean and somewhat ethereal, with Ginny leading and Serena and Roberta backing. As far as guitars, Ginny leans heavier into the riffs than the solos, which fits well with the Doomish overtones. I mean, the solos are good but fairly uncomplicated and bluesy. In fact, this simplicity is one of DUNE AURORA's best attributes—loads of clean and mean riffs set to a locomotive tempo. Perfect examples are "Crocodile" and "Dune Chameleon," two of the best tracks on the album. 

Other standout tracks include "Gateway," the bluesy opener which thematically introduces us to the frozen desert tundra that makes up Ice Age Desert. Admittedly, the track is the shortest, but it covers a lot of terrain. Another on my list is "Trapdoor" which sees the band shaking off the doom and fuzz and getting just a touch Thrashy. A solid rocker this one. "Sunless Queen" is another standout, a little sinister and otherworldly this one. It's also featured as a video.

I have to admit  I was little apprehensive when I first threw on Ice Age Desert. After all it would provide irrefutable evidence of which direction DUNE AURORA ultimately went after their 2022 EP. At that point they could have eased into mid-lane rock or veered for the heavier and more risky offroad of Metal. And maybe that's why I like this album so much. With Ice Age Desert, DUNE AURORA commits to heavier and bluesier, driving straight into hard, unforgiving terrain of the metalscape.