Album Review: Gaerea - Loss
Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
Evolution. An organisms ability to adapt to and survive in the environment in which it finds itself in. In the ever changing environment that is the music industry, artists need to be fluid and able to adapt to market place and consumer demands.
Portugal’s Gaerea burst onto the extreme metal scene in 2016 with early albums “Limbo” and “Unsettling Whispers”. Though it was really “Mirage” that showcased their raw and blistering approach to black metal, demonstrating that not only could they survive but absolutely thrive in the hyper competitive extreme metal scene. This lead to coveted festival slots across Europe with their explosive live show only serving to increase their fan base and growing respect from other musicians. Then came “Coma”.
The band’s 4th full length marked a shift towards what some would describe as a more ‘mainstream’ and ‘accessible’ sound. This featured less of the raw atmospheric intensity from their early work and more cleaner singing passages. Whilst critical reception was generally good, some fans felt let down by this shift in style. This begs the question of what direction will the band take in their upcoming release “Loss”. Will we see a return to the earlier sound, a continuation of a more accessible sound, or something different? Let’s find out…
Well, one of the most salient features are the huge choruses on “Loss”. Genuinely, try to listen to ‘Luminary’ without being enamoured by the infectious power and weight behind the vocal delivery in the songs crescendo. If not that, then check out ‘Submerged‘ or ‘Phoenix ‘ . The album’s chocked full of instantly memorable choruses, something missing from previous albums. You’ll also notice more of the cleaner singing, and also the voice of the band is much cleaner generally; even the growls and harsher vocals retain more diction and clarity which makes following the lyrics and overall story much easier.
Though Gaerea haven’t relied on these hooks. The journey and build to them is just as exciting. There’s no doubt that the band have lent more into the post metal side of things, conjuring up wave after wave of densely layered atmospheric splendour underpinned by the most glorious of guitar tones! Gaerea play live with an ‘ampless’ DI set up, which the band have stated gives a better opportunity to closely examine their sound and allowing for continuous improvement. All of this work has surely carried over into the studio, as the production is spot on! This work on the guitar replaces some of the black metal inspired tremolo picked riffs, making you question whether they can still be pigeonholed into this sub-genre. Whilst I was at the barrier watching them at Fortress Festival, they may seem like more of a wild card on black metal lineups in the future.
Let’s face it; we’re in a world of instant gratification and living in a fast food consumer society. Not many people want to listen to 8,9, or 10 minute songs anymore, which were rampant on earlier releases. It seems as though Gaerea understand this as it feels like there’s much less filler in the songs. No more 2 minute ambient sections that result in people clicking away and choosing a new song rather than sticking it out. Whilst there’s still quieter segments, they’re necessary to give you a breather and to allow ideas to brew organically, and not just advert breaks.
Although this may come across as a huge contradiction, what was the idea behind ‘LBRNTH’? this 2.5 minute new age inspired does more to derail the album’s momentum than contribute positively to it. Though let’s finish this in on a high. The track of the album has to be ‘Hellbound’. Lulling you into a false sense of security with a sensitive opening melodic passage, they suddenly shift gears and unleash an absolute raging inferno at you, threatening to consume everything in it’s path! Though there’s still the addictive opulent quality making escape quite impossible.
Gaerea have never been one to stay on the conventional path and have always stayed true to their own artistic vision. This much is clear as they enter an exciting new chapter in their own evolution as a band. “Loss” isn’t better or worse than their previous work. It’s just different. They may lose fans, but they will certainly gain new ones. Gaerea aren’t just doing the bare minimum to survive. They’re absolutely thriving with “Loss”.
