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Gaerea - 'Loss' - Review
- Lighthouse Music
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
BAND. As brutally direct as hauntingly honest, Gaerea are a true gem waiting to be discovered. Easily the best modern metal act hailing from Portugal, the mysterious quintet are celebrating a full and eventful decade since the release of their self-titled debut with their brand new fifth album Loss. Gone are the days of raw blackened mayhem and deathcore anguish, their latest effort embracing metalcore tropes, venturing into melodeath realms, and eager to conquer the global heavy scene with flair.
REVIEW. At first sight, Loss is far from your typical contemporay chart-topper, and certainly not the most exciting or flashy release. Underneath the rough exterior and hostile stance, however, lies a fragile and intimate offering, the closest thing to pure metal perfection we will probably gonna get this year. Slightly experimental but deeply logical, the record sees Gaerea embark on a disarmingly honest journey, a tale of scorching Southern passion and expressiveness, wrapped in freezing Northern sensibility and atmosphere.
SONGS. Fittingly enimgmatic and utterly emotive in its very core, Loss is punching, elevating, suffocating and liberating, all in equal measures, from the turbulent opening triad of 'Luminary', 'Submerged' and 'Hellbound', to the solemn conclusion in 'Stardust'. A faultless anthem of resilience and defiance, 'Phoenix' stands above all to elevate the entire record to a whole new level, leading this tale's grand climax of the 'Cyclone' and 'Nomad', a thunderous sonic duality bridged by the aethereal interlude 'LBRNTH'.
OVERALL. Loss sees Gaerea venture into more accessible territories that are likely to put off some of their original puritan fans, but also lure a wider circle of admirers in. All in all, a welcome trade-off when done as effortlessly and tastefuly. A massive step up, and a statement of intent for the future, expect big things from the fine gentlemen in Gaerea, and about time too!
Gaerea - 'Loss'
Country: Portugal
Release: 20 March
Label: Century Media Records
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