New EP, “Anhedonia”, out on May 22nd!
BEAR’s sound is a calculated collision of technical precision and unfiltered aggression — a modern strain of European metal that balances math-inflected complexity with visceral, live-wire intensity. At the core of their identity a combination of brains and brute force.
With Anhedonia, BEAR deliver five songs of pure adrenaline and unfiltered heaviness that capture a band confronting the strange emotional vacuum that can follow trauma. Anhedonia is both a battle cry and a confession; a visceral document of resilience carved from years marked by illness, loss, uncertainty, and hard-won perseverance.
The EP was recorded live as a full band, with no click track, no studio safety nets, no artificial alignment. What you hear are four musicians locked in, feeding off each other’s raw and volatile energy in real time.
Guitarist James Falck comments: “After writing Vanta which was written during a particularly unpleasant moment in my life (cancer, surgery, treatment, family deaths, breakups), I personally was able to exorcise a lot of demons, and since then a lot of incredible things have happened in my life. Making music has always been a big source of therapy for me, and these songs really represent this state I was in until recently; where I had a lot to be grateful for, but the trauma and pain I had experienced in the years before had created a certain level of numbness, apprehension, and indifference.”
Bassist Dries Verhaert adds: “We indeed approached this project quite differently, both creatively and in the studio. Looking back, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. Anhedonia is BEAR at our most authentic and vulnerable. If you ever find yourself in the dark, keep pushing. Accept help from those around you, and keep moving forward. This album is proof that even in the toughest times, there’s a way through.”
(Photograph by Yngwie Vanhoucke)
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