ALBUM REVIEW: Loss – Gaerea
Every now and then, a band appears out of seemingly nowhere and looks to redefine everything you knew; for the past ten years, GAEREA have been that band for black metal. The masked Portuguese quintet started unassumingly enough, but 2022’s Mirage brought them significant acclaim and a position as one of the most innovative extreme bands of the new decade. It’s only been an upward trajectory from there and now they’re part of Century Media Records for fifth album Loss, out on March 20th.
It’s probably worth addressing the elephant in the room from the off, because when GAEREA released first single Submerged, they turned a few heads. They’ve never been a band to pigeonhole their sound, but to go from expansive blackgaze to something more akin to metalcore is certainly a jump that few expected; it likely made some worried how the rest of the album would sound. For those who held concerns, Loss is not likely to allay them, because it’s easily GAEREA‘s most diverse and – dare it be said – accessible effort to date. Cyclone opens with vocalist Alpha singing clean over a simple guitar lick, Uncontrolled steps into deathcore territory – bringing to mind the stylings of CATTLE DECAPITATION and, perhaps most alien of all, closing track Stardust begins with harmonies that could be mistaken for SLEEP TOKEN. Put these elements together and you have the sound of a band who are a far cry away from their roots, a move that will likely split fan opinion straight down the middle.
Yet, for all that GAEREA are venturing into new territory, they haven’t fully left their old sound behind, nor have they let up on the intentions. Despite its chorus, the aforementioned Submerged is still potent with black metal tones, especially in the verses, and while Alpha might be finding his range in a direction less focused on growls, he’s still capable of delivering with the anguished weight of a man at the end of his tether – just listen to Hellbound, the way he howls “Hellbound and frayed / Lost in the flames” is harrowing. There’s also penultimate track Nomad, which is potentially the heaviest on record and sees drummer XI at his double-bass best, proving that when GAEREA want to, they’re still more than capable of drawing from the creative well that got them here in there first place.
In Loss, GAEREA have taken huge a leap of faith, but crucially they’ve stuck the landing. It’s a divisive album, and certainly going to ruffle a few feathers within the fanbase but, as Alpha has stated prior, since Mirage they’ve stopped wanting to become a band more aligned with WATAIN or BEHEMOTH and focused more on being the only GAEREA.
As a result, while some will wave goodbye to them, many more will come on board and those who just love them for who they are will be front and centre on the ride that’s to come. This could well be GAEREA’s ticket to the next level; it’s only a matter of time before we find out either way.
Rating: 8/10
Loss is out now via Century Media Records.
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