Reviews: Gaerea, Phobophillic, Lunarian, Edenbridge (Reviews By Matt Cook, GC, Matt Bladen & James Jackson)

Gaerea – Mirage (Season Of Mist) [Matt Cook]

I mean this as a compliment when I say Gaerea took what they created in 2020 and perfected any stutters or shortcomings, because the follow-up to that year’s Limbo is far and away one of the most captivating albums to be released in quite some time. Mirage represents that one college lecturer that stops you in your tracks because everything they’re saying – and the way they say it – is jaw-dropping, enthralling. It represents that pedestrian you catch a glimpse of while sitting in traffic that nearly causes a multi-car pileup because of how attractive and endearing they are.

This is a black-metal record for the ages, a once-maligned genre being elevated and restored to its former glory but with a modernisation that not only puts itself into the present-day discussion; it also annihilates anything released prior and already threatens whatever is on the horizon. The mark of a first-rate piece of art is in the fact that over the course of nine songs and just over an hour, you’re left not finding yourself dozing off but feeling enlivened, inspired, enamoured.

Memoir is the finest track to open with, bar none. The progressive intro and whispered vocals receive ample reinforcements from a peaceful drum, which of course is all being mustered in hopes of lulling the listener into a false sense of serenity and peace. The payoff to the build-up shakes the very foundation of black metal, and metal in general. It’s an adrenaline-soaked blitz that in turn pirouettes into an epically subtle aura. That theme of progressively spawning a masterpiece by way of gradually introducing elements piece-by-piece is repeated throughout, especially on Deluge, a track that boasts cratering guitar huffs and punishing drums that mimic the feeling of being stoned to death.

Mirage plays out as if Gaerea must prove to the entire world that they are worthy of our ears. It’s hogwash, frankly, because the real question should be if we are even worthy of sharing the same dimension with them. Arson is droney, cosmological, before the song crashes head-on with an asteroid that shifts the tone entirely. Troubled, turmoil-ridden vocals beg for an avalanche of drums that are all too eager to oblige. The precursor to Mirage saw the band instrumentally less urgent at times and additionally less vocally-centric – not as authoritative or biting. Gaerea went multiple steps forward and in doing so, carved out an astonishing compendium of evocative songs which yearns for replays.

I won’t go so far as to say this album should be displayed in the Louvre, because there is nothing yet like it. The record deserves to be put on its own pedestal, in its own company. It’s a one-of-a-kind work of art that may never be replicated, at least not in this author’s lifetime. 10/10

Phobophilic - Enveloping Absurdity (Prosthetic Records) [GC]

Hot off the heels of signing to Prosthetic Records, who might I just add seem to have one of the best rosters of bands going right now, we are introduced to the death metal stylings of Phobophilc’s debut album Enveloping Absurdity. Coming sweeping into your consciousness with the gloomy and morose Enantiodromia, we are introduced to some downright disgusting riffing from John Poer and Aaron Dudgeon before Aaron unleashes some guttural viciousness that drops straight into a short, sharp blast of nasty old school death metal before dropping into a razor sharp and solid rhythm for the rest of the track. 

Those Which Stare Back opens in a more immediate way but then continues along the OSDM route but with more of a sense of urgency and force injected and drops into a wicked bass drop form Christian Alm which interludes with more nice guitar work and adds a great depth and focus before ending on a chaotic and crushing pummelling from drummer Vincent Tweten. Nauseating Despair is another exercise in utter brutality but mixes in some more sombre sections so as not to completely crush our skulls only 3 track in. Cathedrals Of Blood (Twilight Of The Idols) surges forth with some wailing guitars and truly forceful drumming before proceeding to stomp and almost groove its way to a conclusion full of booming vocals and enormous riffs, Individuation is an instrumental interlude that offers a brief spell of rest from the attack that has proceeded and is a nice addition to the whole feel and flow of the album before, The Illusion Of Self drags itself into being and is probably the most accessible track on the whole album so far, as it has an almost hardcore like tempo but still embodies all the classic elements that need to make it a death metal track which again is a nice touch and makes it more interesting for a first time listener. 

Survive In Obscurity is right back to what has been the main body of this album so far, a full on, eyes closed, heads down OSDM barnstormer full of sharp riffs, razor like vocals and drums galore and a snare sound so sharp it almost snaps your head off and finally it is onto title track Enveloping Absurdity to finish us off for good and it really does! Mixing all the varying styles we have heard so far it is a devastating finish with some breakdowns so heavy they are destined to cause some huge pits when they play live. In what has already been a sterling year for albums Phobophilic have produced something that will not just get banished to the side and is destined for numerous listens as it is a really good and solid debut. If you like your death metal to be old school but retain a modern edge and nastiness, then this is a record you should check out. 7/10

Lunarian - Burn The Beauty (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

Vocalist Ailyn is a go to name for these Frontiers projects, formerly of Sirenia, she is part of Her Chariot Awaits with Mike Orlando and Magnus Karlsso's Heart Healer rock opera. Here she has teamed up with producer/guitarist Aldo Lonobile who too is no stranger to Frontiers projects for new project Lunarian which has more in common with her previous band Sirenia, a symphonic metal album that also draws on Xandria, Tristiana. A purely symphonic metal album in every way, Antonio Agate really goes to town with the orchestration all swelling strings and theatrics while also bringing the twitchy synths too on Embrace and Embers. 

With Aldo on guitar and behind the desk, the riffs are big but the overall sound is bigger, extremely clear and precise. Burn The Beauty is the heaviest track here with bassist Mattia Gosetti and drummer Michele Sanna steering the rhythms towards a more metallic style. Lonobile's production style makes it bombastic but means you can hear all the detail especially on Ailyn's classically trained vocals Bleeding Out reminds of those symphony metal leaders with a deep vein of Evanescence as well. Another vehicle for Ailyn and Aldo to show off their talent. Not the best in the genre but perfectly good listening. 7/10

Edenbridge - Shangri La (AFM Records) [James Jackson]

Edenbridge formed back in the good old days of the late 1990’s and fronted by co-founder Sabine Edelsbracher they’re part of that often overlooked sub genre of symphonic metal, a huge umbrella of a category, to which I’ve listened to since the early Noughties. One of the closest bands I can liken Edenbridge to, for many reasons, is Nightwish, a band I discovered and fell hard for with their 2004 release Once. 

Edenbridge’s eleventh studio album Shrangri-La opens with the eight mini long First Light, swiftly followed by The Call Of Eden and Hall Of Shame; each track blends the genre’s hallmark use of orchestration, choir like backing vocals with a strong vocal and elements of rock, thrash and power metal; there is no denying the talent within the musicianship on display here, which makes the fourth track Savage Land all the more surprising when it becomes my first, actually the only, skip of the album. 

Somewhere Else But Here is probably my favourite track although the tracks that follow it Freedom Is A Roof Made Of Stars, Arcadia and The Road To Shangri-La are everything that I’ve come to expect and want from the band and the genre; but it’s the closing track weighing in at a whopping 16 minutes long, The Bonding (Part 2); a continued saga from the album of the same name released in 2013; that truly shows just what this band are capable of, there are chapters/parts to this track and each is as intricate as the last. 

In a nutshell, this album has rekindled my love of the operatic inspired approach to songwriting and I’ll be delving into their back catalogue for more…. Further detail I discovered, Edenbridge is also a town in Kent; maybe worth a visit. 7/10