* En anglais uniquement
Portuguese "cathartic" black metal outfit
Gaerea produce a particularly anguished form of the genre, combining it with elements of hardcore and sludge metal with a hefty dose of emotional outpouring.
Formed in 2016, the band released their eponymous debut EP in November of that year through Everlasting Spew. Choosing to remain completely anonymous and unseen, forgoing even the mononymous stage names common in the genre, the band always appeared masked in black hoods bearing a sigil reminiscent of those used in medieval demonology. Their cosmic-horror concept of "the void" was nothing new, but their musical style brought a breath of fresh air to the genre. Thicker and crustier than the usual shrill black metal sound, it had a density that drew in fans of other genres such as hardcore and sludge, and an overwhelming feeling of rage, anguish, and despair.
Gaerea refined this sound further on their debut full-length album, Unsettling Whispers, released in 2018 through Transcending Obscurity, then signed to
Season of Mist for 2020's
Limbo, their most accomplished work to that date, which was preceded by the singles "Null" and the 11-minute "To Ain." ~ John D. Buchanan