GAEREA - Coma (CD)

When Gaerea emerged out of
pandemic limbo, the masked band came branded with a vision of black metal that was guided not by myths
or pagan beliefs but a purging of emotion. The world quickly came to share that vision, following them from
the gates of Hellfest to tours through China and the U.S.
But with Coma, Gaerea are no longer strictly black metal. Though once again produced by their trusted
confidant Miguel Tereso, their fourth album broadens their signature sound by taking it in two seemingly
opposed directions. There are more moments of intense beauty, but they only heighten the ensuing blows.
"World Ablaze" ignited this new era of Gearea by holding a more conventional song structure over fiery
tremolo picking. "Hope Shatters" upends even the loftiest of fan expectations; after the song collapses
under its blistering heaviness, the melody hangs perilously in the air, like a swaying chandelier, before it's
smashed to pieces by hammering bass and concussive blast beats.
"I've known faces within me", their unnamed vocalist cries in the wake of a slow and somber guitar solo
before "Unknown" snaps into a razor-sharp hook. "I transform with every passing moment".
With Coma, Gaerea surface to the top of extreme metal.