Sometimes, when describing an album, you rely on comparisons and likenesses, drawn-out descriptions of moods evoked and memories conjured, coupled with sensory associations and all tied together with flowery verbiage. But then, on the other hand, you sometimes strike it lucky, and can summarize the entire proceedings in one word. In the case of Portugal’s Gaerea, and their latest album, Limbo, it’s definitely the latter – and the word here is intensity. Sure, I could carry on about the ‘anonymous legions’ visual spectacle a la Mgła or Uada; I could make a connection with the wild fervour of Watain or Marduk; I could match the quasi-ritualistic flavour with that of Mephorash – and I could do all this at great circumlocutive length, but it would all just end up at the same point: intensity. ...
