Pune five-piece Placid Aura are very obviously a band with roots in rock and metal; the type with long buildups and reliance on smoothness. Labels and boxes aside, it always piques interest when a band releases a near eight-minute-long debut single. ‘Deccan Rains’ does take its time to get going and uses some well-worn genre tropes, but strong performances, super clean production and a hook that sticks the landing make it a good start for the band.

It must be said that the production is thick and phat enough to merit listening to the track at high volumes. Everything comes through really well; the drums have the modern and highly accented prog metal sound we are familiar with, but they thump. The guitars are also thick and heavy, filling the mix entirely in choruses while having a lighter treatment when they have to get out of the way. There’s some good songwriting on display here as well, but it really is all about the chorus. The hook is catchy as hell, heavy and is without doubt the most entertaining element of the song. ‘Deccan Rains’ does at times get weighed down by some generic elements, though anyone looking for that form of gratification will have a ball. Two solos? Yes. Ambient electronics? Sure. A slightly over-dramatic verse? Yezzir. A relatively thin and hollow vocal treatment? Oh yeah. These are not particularly errors or missteps, just tried-and-tested artistic decisions Placid Aura have taken here that might give you a sense of musical déjà vu. Still, it is their first effort, and for that it’s not right to nitpick; a pretty good beginning.