Loss

Masked and anonymous, Portuguese collective Gaerea discard the template of their past records to embrace pop hooks, clean singing, and stadium-sized choruses. On Loss, the band's blistering blackened roots undergo a dramatic transformation, leading critics to note how they "veer far into melodic metalcore territory". Rather than suffocating in underground obscurity, the group "pulls off the neat trick of being ultra heavy, yet supremely melodic", crafting a style that trades raw despair for soaring, cinematic catharsis.

While purists may balk at this pivot, reviewers find a compelling tension in the hybrid. Shrill screams and crushing breakdowns collide with polished electronic flourishes, reflecting a "delicate balance between the pop hooks and high-octane riffs". Tracks like "Phoenix" and "Stardust" signal a move toward the mainstream, successfully merging the intensity of extreme metal with the accessible structures of late-2000s scene music. By grounding this melodic brightness in suffocating atmospheres, Gaerea deliver a divisive yet undeniably captivating evolution.