Unsettling Whispers, the first full-length from Portuguese black metal sect Gaerea, sort of flew under the radar when it was released earlier this year. If your ears were distracted by new releases from Immortal, Panopticon, Uada, Skeletonwitch and the like, take the time to familiarize yourself with this anonymous group now.
With the video for “Absent,” which you can watch below, tackles subjects of negative emotion, paranoia and suicide, an idea broached at the beginning of the song with the lyric “Suicide is part of your life.”
Of the song’s lyrics, the band tells Decibel, “‘Absent’ might be the most intimate and emotional song the vortex ever sculpted. Through the visions of almost voyeur, we feel despair, anger and solitude on a blind man who seeks comfort in his own paranoia.”
If you care more about riffs and blast beats than feelings, Gaerea have that too. The discordant opening notes of “Absent” stick in the listener’s mind, providing the unsettling backdrop for furious blasts, icy vocals and more catchy riffs. Don’t just take my word for it—watch the video for “Absent” now; to learn more about the song and Unsettling Whispers, read an interview with Gaerea from June of this year.
