Review: BEAR ‘Anhedonia’ EP
Belgian mathcore heavyweights BEAR align more with tech-heavy acts like Hippotraktor on the post-metal roster of Pelagic Records than the prog expanse of The Ocean.
However, their inclusion reinforces the label’s commitment to finding artists who create complex and intense music. The band themselves deliver a high-octane mix of ‘precision and unfiltered aggression’ with a European flavour that tackles themes of loss, trauma, and perseverance.
Now comprising vocalist Maarten Albrechts, James Falck (guitars), Dries Verhaert (bass), and Serch Carriere (drums), have existed since 2010. They have racked up numerous releases in the form of full-length albums and individual tracks, winning praise from publications like Metal Hammer and Rock Sound. They have also opened for While She Sleeps and worked with label mate Chiaran Verheyden (of Hippotraktor fame) on their fifth album, Vanta.
Their latest release, the five-track Anhedonia EP, is a focused burst of twenty bruising minutes that mixes cerebral lyrics, deft technical ability, and sledgehammer brute force. The title itself refers to the reduced ability to experience pleasure or interest in previously enjoyed activities. It comes after an intense and unpleasant period in Falck’s life involving ‘cancer, surgery, treatment, family deaths, breakups’.
By tackling these demons and expunging the trauma through the power of music, the EP presents hard-won determination as well as emotional catharsis. This is delivered via an incendiary studio performance with ‘no studio safety nets, no artificial alignment’ – just four musicians locked in, feeding off each other’s raw and volatile energy in real time.
Lead track Empty Markers ignites from the first notes. The brief, teasing intro feels edgy and tense before they explode into a galloping main riff and the ferocious roaring of Albrechts. The face-melting intensity reminds me of sadly defunct label mates Herod, whose Iconoclast album was one of my favourite releases of 2023. The pummelling, full-pelt riffing is pure hardcore-laced metal that scythes from the speakers, backed by frantic clattering from Carriere.
The clean-sung chorus comes right on cue and pulls back on the brutality to introduce a more commercial element, even with the barking call-and-response. Fans of early Slipknot may find an affinity with the controlled chaos that features breakdowns, chugged grooves, and gang-vocal singalong elements.
a focused burst of twenty bruising minutes that mixes cerebral lyrics, deft technical ability, and sledgehammer brute force…
Lacerate begins with an ominous, atmospheric, droning choral effect that gets smashed to pieces by more ferocious riffing. More angular and off-kilter with its jerking polyrhythms, the vocals oscillate back and forth between feral barks and layered harmonies. These waltz with a delirious infusion of melody, juxtaposing the brutal clash of the band in full flight. The elastic djent bends and the grinding low end make the track sound like a ceiling cave-in at a concrete factory.
Not taking their foot off the pedal for a second, more battering effects follow with the churning violence of The Smile. Jarring notes accent the vocals against a backdrop of powerful slamming. Once again, mathcore technicality and dynamics dominate as the track twists and turns, seemingly unable to maintain a stylistic direction for long before charging off elsewhere. Like many of the entries on Anhedonia, The Smile also has flavourings of industrial and nu-metal. These influences make it a thoroughly contemporary release, with the high production values from Verheyden lending an accessible air that has previously seen them grace the stage with the likes of Periphery.
The title track is a slower number that relies on repeated bludgeoning. The concussive force of the percussion, the huge ringing of the guitar, and chanted vocals eschew speed for precision impact. Brooding and crammed with lyrics referencing the tragedies that led to the EP’s themes, BEAR concentrate on delivering their message effectively through mid-paced pounding. In turn, this feels like it mirrors the subject matter.
Metastatic returns to the frenetic pacing of earlier. Once again, that skittering drum style ramps up expectation for when the band let the brakes off and careen into heavier-than-thou territory. Featuring a hooky, clean chorus, they throw the kitchen sink into signing off with all the tricks at their disposal. If I were to nitpick, it feels like they have slightly overcooked this one; the track isn’t quite sure what it wants to be, falling somewhere between raging catharsis and an uplifting message of hope. This leads to a sense of disparate ideas welded together in the songwriting process. However, even with this slight criticism, BEAR get over the line positively, having kicked your senses into touch with their high-octane approach.
The band are definitely proud of what they have delivered, with bassist Verhaert commenting that ‘Anhedonia is BEAR at our most authentic and vulnerable’. It is certainly a powerful statement from the four-piece as they look to regroup after a hard few years and regain momentum. Wrapped in a ferocious assault, this EP is a short, sharp shock that looks to inspire and wow listeners new and old.
Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
