Gaerea

The Portuguese black metal mongers in Gaerea deliver odes of deepest black characterised by furious blast beats, spectral choral chants, viciously snarled vocals and acerbic riffing: the aural equivalent of a head-first dive into the pitch-black depths of hell. Founded in 2016, their breakthrough came with their second album ‘Limbo’. Gaerea translated their experiences with pandemic isolation into bloodcurdling black metal gems that catapulted them to the top of the black metal scene. Whereas other bands might rest on their laurels and milk that successful formula, they elected to descend even deeper into the crypts of the human soul on ‘Mirage’ (2022). A recurring theme on the record is our human inability to trust our own senses. Satan, demons and a lonely death await us all. Continuing the two-year interval between releases, 2024’s ‘Coma’ sees the masked quintet venturing into experimental territory with a more melodic, post-rock, blackgaze-oriented approach compared to previous outings. In November of last year they razed Trix to the ground, giving fans of bands like Batushka, Carnosus and Panzerfaust every reason to flock to the Marquee on Sunday. (#GMM26)