Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, the performers of GAEREA deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty. Emerging from the age of pandemic to whatever awaits humanity next, the dark horde remains on the frontlines of the next generation of extreme metal. With an EP and three albums to their name, Gaerea has rapidly distinguished themselves from the thousands of bands toiling away in the underground. Brewing their cauldron of sound from a recipe of pounding black-metal blast mixed with a touch of harrowed, reflective longing, many devotees of the darkened arts have flocked to their banner. With the emergence of third full-length album Mirage, those numbers certainly grew.
Gaerea met a challenge when releasing their second album during the pandemic, the aptly titled Limbo, to excellent world reception. In the meantime, they found the total suspension of interactive life as it was previously known to be the perfect breeding ground for further creation and making.
Sizzling with ambition from day one, Gaerea may present one unique face to their audience, masked and enshrouded, but the truth is they have not remained changeless.
As their previous album name Mirage suggests, the inability to trust what our senses are telling us could be construed as one of the album’s central themes. Rather than constrict their art to mythological references or anti-religious tropes, Gaerea instead plumb the depths of the human experiences of isolation and suffering.
Just two years since Mirage was released, Gaerea is here, erupting with intensity, casting forth black ashes over the world yet again.
Their latest release, Coma, has finally surfaced, marking a pivotal shift. From this point forward, everything changes. It’s time for Gaerea to bridge the gap between underground metal and the elevated realm they’ve attained. With Coma, Gaerea emerges from the underground scene, ascending towards a permanently lasting position at the head of the table.
An emotional gateway to a dark black metal scene, a guide to salvation, pain, despair and letting go. Moving up, into the blackness that is above. Gaerea is the answer, the only answer.
Within ‘Coma’s’ ten tracks lies an individual narrative, each with its own tale to unveil. Collectively, they blend nuances of aggression, tranquility, solitude, and fervor.
Boasting a superior production that threads the needle between caustic and clarity, Gaerea yet again admit their loyalty to producer Miguel Tereso of Demigod Recordings for the production of Coma. Together they created the birth of ‘Coma’, the new era for metal mankind. Distinguishing themselves ever more so, the Vortex handpicked their artist Nathan Lorenzana with a clear assignment to create their mesmerizing cover artwork. Months of hand drawing the image with a ballpen lead to this masterpiece which dipped his name into ‘Coma’.
The beauty of Gaerea lies in the directness and simplicity found within their florid tapestry of extremity and aggression. Whether it is in the less-polished aural dynamite of Mirage, or in the lustrous textures of Coma, Gaerea is building a mighty edifice of metal. With talons dipped in the inky blood of black metal and scraped across the flesh of human suffering, Gaerea is leading a charge into the future of darkness, and all those who find beauty and power in the dark side of existence would do well to take heed.
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