Gaerea @ Islington Assembly Hall, London - 18/09/26
Gaerea bring ritualistic black metal to London for a descent into oblivion
For a band whose entire aesthetic is built around anonymity, existential dread and the general inconvenience of being alive (honestly, mood), Gaerea have made themselves impossible to ignore. Their latest album “Loss” and the accompanying tour have provided the perfect excuse to gather at Islington Assembly Hall, a venue that feels most suitable (and surprisingly civilised) for what is about to take place. Elegant architecture, the first feel of autumn in London and an audience prepared to have its evening dictated by yet another band in masks is a questionable combination, but it is always a recipe that seems to work.
The Portuguese black metal outfit have made a name for themselves by transforming their music into an atmospheric, visceral and intensely physical performance. There is no gimmick into this - their music is not content, it is the soundtrack to contemplating all your life choices. It demands attention, preferably the kind of attention you give to a band when standing in a room full of people who have also decided that a perfectly reasonable Friday night involves being sonically assaulted.
First up were Conjurer, a band that cannot simply be reduced to a single genre. Having seen them play a run of festivals around the UK this summer, I have to say watching them live is a spiritual experience every single time. They blend sludge, doom, hardcore, post-metal and extreme metal into a single mould of sounds, and they don’t even drip sweat doing it. Their music has a tendency to feel like it is being dragged out of the ground, examined under harsh lighting and then thrown directly into your face. As an opening act, this is the perfect way to set the mood for the evening.
Their performance was heavy without being monotonous, the riffs landed and the drums were relentless. Yet, beneath all the screams and the distortion, Conjurer have direction and tension into their music, bringing emotion into their songs. Despite the bleakness of their music, they still have an underlying vulnerability into their lyrics which gives them even more substance. As a response, the front of the room was moving and shouting, whilst the middle of the pit was opening and closing. At the end of the set, the bassist joined the moshpit and performed amongst the crowd, whilst the rest of the band commanded from the top of the stage. The band really know how to do what a good support band should: establish their own identity, hold the audience’s attention and make everyone admit they are a future headliner. So by the time they finish, the room is primed and ready.
When it comes to Gaerea, the masks they wear are not the point. Whilst they have a striking visual identity, and the air of mystery and enigma around their true personalities creates a distance, they still engage with their audience and make their performance physical. There is no hiding behind the aesthetic; if anything, their anonymity just places more responsibility on the music and the movement to communicate what their faces cannot. Silhouetted against red lights, the band come on stage with intensity and flair, instantly creating a ritualistic atmosphere. There are still drums, guitars and vocals, but the theatricality they have on stage goes beyond a simple performance.
Their music is not for the untrained ear, yet their newest album has softer melodies, haunting vocals and a darkness that sucks the whole room. Performing songs such as “Hellbound”, “Nomad”, “Phoenix” and “Wilted Flower”, Gaerea have the crowd screaming the lyrics. Watching the relationship they build with their audience, using precision to create disorder, was a very interesting experiment. Black metal has always had an affinity with the idea of chaos and existentialism, but the band knows exactly how to control it and use it to bring their audience to the experience that their visuals create. And despite obscuring their faces, the way they commanded and interacted with the crowd was testament that they know how to engage with the room, and get the audience to respond with equal enthusiasm.
Mixing their newer songs with older material, the setlist crescended into an outburst. There is room to expand, and the heavier sections were accompanied by haunting vocals and guitar breakdowns that felt larger than life. Coupled with Gaerea’s theatricality and spectacle, it made the show feel immersive. Ending it with “Stardust”, the band proved that they are rightfully gaining bits of the scene and establishing themselves even more, ready to hit more summer festivals and acquire a larger piece of the pie.
A successful evening, then.
