Label: Masked Dead Records
Genre: Atmospheric Black/Doom Metal
Length: 21:15
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Today I'm here to talk about Marea's new EP, Adrift, released in early May via Masked Dead Records, available in digital format and on CD in a limited edition of 100 copies. For those unfamiliar with the project, Marea is an atmospheric black/doom metal band from Italy. I discovered Marea last year with their debut album The Silence of Rust, which I reviewed on the blog. I also had the opportunity to interview Matteo Balzarini, the mastermind behind the project.
Adrift is a three-track EP, lasting a total of 21 minutes and 15 seconds. With this new opus, Marea plunges us into a deeply atmospheric soundscape, driven by raw emotions and a melancholy ambience. Doom metal blends with elements of black metal, creating a memorable tracks. From the very first seconds, the melodies build up a heavy atmosphere, accentuated by intense vocals ranging from cavernous growls to high-pitched screams. Some acoustic passages add an extra dimension to this heaviness, as at the start of the track Rusted, where the atmosphere is oppressive and introspective, or on the introduction to the eponymous Marea, the longest track on the EP.
Among the highlights is the vocal performance on Useless, particularly from 2:12 onwards, where strident screams electrify the atmosphere. These wrenching screams continue at 3:16, placed slightly in the background but still listenable, adding further emotional depth. At 4:21, the guitar takes over with captivating melodies. On Rusted, the melancholy mood is brutally shattered at 2:30 by a typically black metal high-pitched scream, expressing palpable distress. At 4:26, the composition recalls influences such as Agalloch, and at 5:25, the vocals reach a peak of intensity with a prolonged scream, an emotional highlight. On Marea, from 2:36 onwards, Agalloch's influence becomes even more apparent. This track stands out for its particularly melancholy atmosphere and for the evolution of the vocal performance over the last three minutes and how this part is arranged on the soundscape.