Nothingness lets Gaerea express itself once again.
Two years after Mirage, the Portuguese masked collective unveils the release of Coma, their fourth album, still supported by Season of Mist and illustrated by Guatemalan artist Nathan Lorenzana.
The album opens with the mysterious tones of The Poet’s Ballet, leading us into a reassuringly clean voice, but quietude is short-lived, as the melodic and explosive Black Metal roots take over again. The vocalist screams again as the musicians weave a violent haunting web, with slightly more airy passages to allow us to take in the next surge, which throws us onto Hope Shatters, a composition with a heavy and relatively macabre atmosphere. The sound seems more aggressive than on the previous track, but some screaming passages give it an eerie aura, like this last intense wave before the fresh breath offered by Suspended, the next track. It of course only lasts a few seconds, letting the oppressive rhythmic beat crash down on us like a jerky hurricane with marked Post-Black influences, especially on the reprise after the steamy break, then they pick up again with the catchy World Ablaze, which mixes lively patterns with diversified touches, making the track relatively joyful. The band also delivers devastating surges, as on Coma, the eponymous track, which mixes anxiety and raw power with a calmer moment towards the center to temper the musicians’ fury, but it’s full speed ahead as they lead us to the end. Wilted Flower gently picks up, shrouding us in a veil of soaring tones that even the arrival of saturated elements barely tears away, so much so that the riffs follow this soaring dynamic before breaking the spell with whispers. The band’s Post/Shoegaze roots are increasingly felt, rekindling the flame before letting us breathe again, until Reborn takes the reins with a veritable deflagration, occasionally bringing us into the eye of the storm before plunging us headlong into their darkness. Shapeshifter starts out very slowly, with a hazy, almost Doom-like approach, letting its dissonant melodies dance through the air to create an enigmatic cocoon for whispers and then finally allowing the rhythm section to trample everything savagely. Wrenching melodies join the mix, but take on a much more aggressive role on Unknown, anchoring the composition in sharp tones and a more aggressive approach interspersed with soaring clouds. This principle of duality is echoed on Kingdom of Thorns, which alternates between powerful double-kick phases and heady harmonics to develop its ultimate tornado accompanied by a few keyboards.
Gaerea has clearly changed a great deal. The band still exploits its Black Metal roots with chilling melodies, but Coma offers a wider repertoire of influences, from steamy moments to gentle introductions. All the same, the mix remains extremely coherent.
85/100