Gaerea – Gaerea

Band – Gaerea

Album – Gaerea

Country of Origin – Portugal

Genre – Black Metal

Release Date – August 29th, 2017

Label – Everlasting Spew Records

Author – Hayduke X

Formed in 2016, the Portuguese Gaerea is practically a brand new band, as far as these things go. The self-titled EP I’m reviewing here today is their only release to date, so I had no idea what to expect. What I got, was a relatively brief release that seems complete in conception and manifestation. These six tracks ‘blew my hair back,’ as Jeremy Wagner put it in a recent interview. Billed as black metal, the EP is actually black metal with atmospheric leanings that incorporates a ton of emotional hardcore influences in the way the material is presented. In terms of actual playing, it is fair to call this black metal.

So who are these folks? According to Metal Archives, Haborym BM plays guitar, Nuno handles drums, and Jorge Marinho handles the bass. There is no mention of vocals, so I’m not sure what to say there. Regardless of who is who, the drumming is a magnificent example of steady blasting, mixed with some double bass, that really pushes the momentum ever forward. The bass is like a raw exposed nerve, constantly pulsating as the flow of the music writhes around it. The guitar riffs are so perfectly chosen. They flow up and down in tremolo picked fury with barely contained anguish. And whoever the vocalist is should take a bow. The vocal style is solid, if not particularly special, but it is so completely filled with visceral emotion as to be profoundly magnetic.

In the final analysis, Gaerea has outdone many other, more established acts. This EP is urgent, immediate, consequentially dark, and primally emotional. You feel this creature all the way to your bones and understand that the future doesn’t bode well for anyone or anything. This has quickly become one of the years most essential listens for me and will likely continue to spend time on my metaphorical (and digital) turntable.

Recommendation:  Get in on the action early. This one smells like vinyl to me.

Rating:  4.5/5