Finnish ethereal trio AURI has released “Shieldmaiden,” the haunting lead single from their third album, III – Candles & Beginnings, set to drop on August 15, 2025, via Nuclear Blast Records. The track premiered yesterday, May 14, 2025, accompanied by a cinematic music video directed by Ville Lipiäinen, known for his work with Nightwish. The album is available for pre-order in limited colored vinyl, limited earbook, and CD formats at nuclearblast.com/collections/auri.
AURI—Johanna Kurkela (vocals), Tuomas Holopainen (keys, Nightwish), and Troy Donockley (multi-instrumentalist, Nightwish)—blends folk, progressive, symphonic, world music, pop, and a genre-defying soundscape. “Shieldmaiden,” a 5:12 piece, features Kurkela’s celestial vocals over lush, layered instrumentation, with Donockley noting its “slow rising power” and mysterious allure, perfectly capturing AURI’s signature ambiguity. Formed in 2011 and debuting with their self-titled album in 2018, followed by II – Those We Don’t Speak Of in 2021, AURI continues to craft immersive, otherworldly experiences.
The band’s unique chemistry, rooted in the trio’s shared history with Nightwish, shines through in this new chapter, promising their most captivating work yet. Fans of Nightwish, Enya, or Loreena McKennitt will find III – Candles & Beginnings a mesmerizing journey. Stream “Shieldmaiden” on platforms like Spotify and pre-order the album now to dive into AURI’s enchanting world this August!