Suffering so you don't have to!
Did you think we were done with new releases? That we were just going to remember the highs and lows of this year? Well, let me surprise you with some Black Metal from the cave. I’m talking about Monte Penumbra’s Austere Dawning, an album that, while it feels Icelandic in many ways, continues to establish tiny (but mighty) Portugal as one of the powerhouses in this niche sub-genre. We’ve had an exhausting week when it comes to tremolo picking, so how can this release top that? Let’s find out.
I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that in the barren landscape that is pure Black Metal, Gaerea stands as a rare ray of originality. I was there when Unsettling Whispers came out and was just as impressed as anyone else. Then came the crushing and lengthy Limbo, followed by the leaner and more dramatic Mirage. Now, Coma faces the difficult task of continuing a streak of innovation that few other contemporary Metal bands have been able to achieve. Can Gaerea keep us dreaming? Can it replicate the poetic anxiety that has defined its work so far? Come with me and let’s find out.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 