The Portuguese warship Gaerea has docked in many ports on numerous occasions. Previous albums, from the very first in 2018 (Unsettling Whispers) to 2024 (Coma), showed us a band that has evolved so much that it deserves a special place in the black metal scene, and rightfully so. On this Loss, released by Century Media Records, the Portuguese band shows that their evolution knows no limits.
Some of you will abandon ship, others will simply remain as passengers and let themselves be carried along. This is just to say that the compositional choices the band made for this album will be dismissed by some as a kind of commercialization. Something that, in my opinion, is not correct. This formation, this Gaerea, has known exactly what it is doing and what it stands for from the very beginning. This is no different on Loss.
Production-wise, the album is again rock solid. In addition, it seems as if everything – every passage, every rhythm change, every note – has been deeply thought through. The band members, some of whom have been there from the start and others who joined later, have each had their say, as far as I can tell. This has resulted in songs that have a black metal topping, breathe post-black and, even more than before, mix clean vocals with the typical throat sounds we know all too well. Don’t forget the electronic drops here and there.
Fortunately, the characteristic guitar sound is still there, as are the distinctive solid drum and bass foundations. Luminary is a worthy opener to what is likely to be another delightful, fantastic album. After all, there have already been a slew of singles, each bearing the typical Gaerea stamp, or sigil, if you will. Meandering guitars are fuelled by Alpha’s vocals, XI’s drums and Rho’s bass parts. The latter strolls delightfully through the compositions, as he has done from the very beginning. Submerged introduces us fully to the evolution the band has undergone. It sounds solid, but at the same time recognisable, relatable and empathetic, and yet… It’s wonderful how those cleaner parts are draped over that brutal blast parade. You are truly immersed after the keyboard part, the strumming… Very strong! ‘Circling Belowwwwww’.
Hellbound unleashes its demons, while Uncontrolled releases a classic death metal vibe in its opening bars. And then… Phoenix! What a song! It’s the interaction of the vocals: the alternation between brutality and finesse in the quieter parts. The melodies are divine. As if a phoenix spreads its wings wide and rises from the ashes. After this delight, it’s time to show some restraint. Cyclone is fragile and delicate. It has a strumming party, a sensitive clean vocal line… Not entirely expected, but appropriate. LBRNTH makes you lose your way a little, only to come home again with Nomad. It’s a song that can and should stand alongside the mighty Phoenix in terms of quality. Stardust is a worthy emotional conclusion to this particularly strong album. It does indeed sound modern with its electronics and vocal lines. But it in no way detracts from everything that came before. And then, the blast beat! Brutal!
Well, what else can be written about this? This Loss by the Portuguese band Gaerea is a masterful album. If you listen to all the albums by this band one after the other, the point the band has now reached is simply a natural evolution. Very strong! Let the water flow ‘where the waters flow’. Where will this band take us next?
Score:
95/100
Label:
Century Media Records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- Luminary
- Submerged
- Hellbound
- Uncontrolled
- Phoenix
- Cyclone
- LBRNTH
- Nomad
- Stardust
Line-up:
- Alpha – Vocals, guitar
- Rho – Bass
- XI – Drums
- Delta – Guitar
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