Nathan Aurora isn’t interested in playing it safe. With Monument, the latest full-length from his genre-fluid project Aurorawave, the former Iya Terra frontman smashes genre boundaries with a record that’s equal parts rebellion and revelation—an album that fuses reggae, metalcore, and melody into something audacious and entirely new.
“I think this record is really the full realization of what this band is supposed to be,” Aurora says. “It’s cohesive—every song sounds like it belongs. That first record was more like a compilation of older songs I had lying around. A few were written specifically for Aurorawave, but most were just songs I wanted to get out as I started this new journey.“
Written over a year of transformation, Monument became Aurora’s journal of creative liberation—an unfiltered expression of the highs, lows, and artistic clarity that followed his split from Iya Terra. Where Aurorawave’s debut LP felt like a mixtape of ideas in transition, Monument is a mission statement. The crushing breakdowns hit harder, the dub grooves swing deeper, and the collaborations—ranging from Ekoh and Taylor Barber (Left to Suffer) to Aaron Gillespie (Underoath)—feel like co-conspirators rather than features.
“Once I started writing this new record, the songs just poured out. I didn’t force anything—it just came naturally. And I love it. I think it’s a strong, fun album that really solidifies what Aurorawave is. There’s this theory that the best ideas aren’t forced; they come from somewhere else. And I really believe that.“
“I wrote this whole album over the last year.,” he continues. “Once it was done, it was time for videos, touring, all the logistics—and writing dried up. That’s how it always works for me. I just don’t write for a few months, and I’m okay with that now. I understand my own rhythm.“
That balance—between intention and improvisation, aggression and affirmation—is baked into the record’s DNA. Tracks like “Villain,” which recently earned a spin on SiriusXM Octane, nod to Aurora’s heavy roots.
“They actually played it on Octane last month, which was a big goal of mine. I’ve got a vision board—and SiriusXM Octane is on it. I’m a big believer in manifestation, that hippie-dippy stuff. We’d been pushing for it for a while, and while we were on tour last month, I got the call that they were putting it on Test Drive. It was surreal.”
“Getting that nod from [Sirius XM host] José Mangin meant a lot. We’ve had some conversations since then, and it’s been really encouraging to build that relationship. Getting acknowledged like that—checking one of those boxes on the dream list—was huge for me.“
Other tracks, like “Never Gonna Stop Us” featuring Ekoh, feel like anthems for a future where genre no longer defines identity.
“I’m very fortunate and grateful for all the core fans of Iya Terra. They gave me a life. But I think there’s a misconception that I don’t appreciate them anymore just because I’m making different music now,” Aurora says, reflecting on online criticism. “That’s not true at all. But there’s a sentimental attachment to what I used to do, and some people just aren’t willing to accept the change.”
And they will. Monument doesn’t just cross bridges—it builds them.
Watch Nathan Aurora’s full interview with The Pier below!
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