The Portuguese Gaerea are a name in the metal scene that cannot just go unnoticed, mostly thanks to the particular energy of the band and the themes they call in their artistic approach when it comes to writing their  music and the  lyrics – narcissism, self-destruction, misanthropy, depression, anhedonia and many other conditions directly related to the human psyche and those dark corners of man and his painful and often blunted traumas, which through Gaerea’s music are not only touched, but also cut out as with a sharp  scalpel and brought to light.

The boys already made an impression with their debut self-titled EP in 2016, clearly showing their intention to create in a pure and unadulterated, emotionally charged way, both quality in terms of production and meaning.

The beauty of Gaerea’s music since the band’s inception lies above all in the seemingly simple and pure presentation of the music and the deep themes of human nature woven into it. The band evolved with each record, contributing to the scene with new ideas and even more ferocious energy, along with experimentation in their  production.

Raw atmosphere, a dose of despair and  impenetrable darkness can be felt in each of the band’s  full-length titles – ‘Unsettling Whispers’ (2018) and ‘Limbo’ (2020), with the band’s latest album firmly marking its position, reaching out to black metal fans at perhaps the most precise moment possible – during the pandemic, which proved to be especially fruitful for the darkest side of people, and accordingly, there was also a crying need for transformative and purifying albums like „Limbo“, touching precisely those thin strings, which most are afraid to handle.

Opening with the melancholic intro of ‘Memoir’, the band’s new full-length album ‘Mirage’ takes off in a smooth, ethereal way, with bewitching whispers instead of Guilherme’s typical scream, as suddenly the whole soundscape of the song changes into a total space-shredding hammer vocals and interesting solos interspersed between the fast-paced drum beat that wanders with the rest of the instrumental between utter chaos and a hypnotic, mind-locking beat.

An almost industrial sound, steeped in downright desperation, served up interestingly by the fresh songwriting the band showcases throughout the album.
Although it sounds more hardcore than black metal at times, the track sets an interesting tone for the title, subtly indicating from the outset that this won’t be your typical Gaerea album, that we can expect creative ideas  we haven’t  heard from the band so far.

And the  „Memoir“‘s hint turns out to be right on point.
In their new album, the band worked  more with ambient sounds, experimented  with tempos and moods, compositions of different structures, and although the essence of Gaerea can still be heard, the music on „Mirage“ is far different and multi-layered than what we’ve  heard from the Portuguese.
Still expressive, Guilherme’s vocals, along with the visible efforts of all the other band members, reveal nine  chapters about the beauty of suffering and the depth of the human spirit.
I miss the harsher approach in some places, but this fades into the background thanks to the polished atmosphere of the title, bearing a particular handwriting.

„Mirage“ is a more atmospheric title, more experimental than usual for Gaerea and once again shows the strength of the musicians’ creative spirit. Black metal, especially the more modern representatives of the genre, are becoming more and more advanced in their exploration of musical possibilities, and this leads to precisely such titles, in which you can hear something reminiscent of the roots of the genre, as well as something completely new and modern, even futuristic sounding.

It’s beautiful to fall into the whirlpool of thoughts of „Mirage“, to dive into the creative abyss of Gaerea and listen, absorb all their lyrics, follow with curiosity the whole dynamics of the album and react to all the small details that the band very successfully incorporates into their  music. Amid tormented vocals, atmospheric guitars with brutal tremolo picking, rhythmic drums and beautiful ambient parts, everything becomes a distinctly expressed mirage that reveals to you its story of suffering, internal contradictions and the hopelessness of the social collapse we are currently facing .

„A wandering life of joy and grace
Thank Lord, for the man who is perky
He who sings of a bright morning
Consumed by the golden waves of ecstasy
pain throughout the mundane night
he treads on pieces of shattered glass
I detest the skies for they enlighten this being
He who knows nothing but his will
He who melts his flesh
As his hopes lash away“

Score: 9/10 ????????????????????????????????????

Favorite track: „Dormant“

The album will be released on September 23rd via the Season of Mist label, with pre-orders now open at https://bit.ly/3OU469X.