Norway's Aura Noir was formed in 1993 by Aggressor & Apollyon in pursuit of a more thrash-based form of black metal than much of what was coming out at the time - particularly in their homeland - citing bands such as Slayer, Sodom & Kreator as inspirations along with purveyors of the scene such as Venom, for a dirtier, stripped down, violent black/thrash metal sound. Their first official release was the "Dreams Like Deserts" EP on Hot Records in 1994. "Dreams Like Deserts" was a fresh revelation upon release, launching the band amid the fever of the second wave of black metal sweeping the globe at the time. The result was a ferocious assault of dirty blackened thrash, immediately gaining Aura Noir cult acclaim in the process, which has continued to this day.