The Bad Penny (beta)

The phrase “most anticipated album of the year” is, when actually considered, an absurd thing to say. The phrase is inherently contradictory, given that music has an unwavering subjective appeal even among an artist’s devoted fanbase. Because fans typically don’t know what’s in store on an upcoming release, it’s illogical for fans to froth at the mouth over a record that hasn’t yet materialized. 

A more accurate comment would come from someone who has actually listened to the record in advance. If that arbiter thinks long and hard about the approaching album – and seriously considers the hopes and expectations of the fans of the artist who is putting it out – they might be able to predict, based on their musical expertise, that the album will hit the marks that the artist’s fanbase craves.

So let’s put it another way: Gaerea’s fifth album, Loss, is already positioned to be one of the most devastating and glorious (those words are interchangeable in the metal community) – and perhaps one of the best, metal records of 2026. We can base that theory on three principle pieces of evidence.