Belgian mathcore heavyweights BEAR today reveal their new single ‘Metastatic’, from their forthcoming EP Anhedonia, which will be released 22nd May via Pelagic Records.
Stream ‘Metastatic’ and preorder Anhedonia here: https://orcd.co/bear-anhedonia
The band state: “‘Metastatic’ is, to us, a quintessential BEAR track. It blends everything the band has been known for up until this point and adds some new elements people might not have heard from us before. As with all the songs on ‘Anhedonia’ – this song was recorded entirely live, with the intention of delivering a more intense, organic sound.
“It’s also one of the more challenging songs we’ve written together – demanding us to be 100% focused and locked in with each other.”
Watch the ferocious drum playthrough for ‘Metastatic’ performed by Serch Carriere here:
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.”
Tracklisting:
1. Empty Markers
2. Lacerate
3. The Smile
4. Anhedonia
5. Metastatic
BEAR are:
Maarten Albrechts – Vocals
James Falck – Guitar
Dries Verhaert – Bass
Serch Carriere – Drums
BEAR online:
https://www.bearpropaganda.com
https://www.facebook.com/bearpropaganda
https://www.instagram.com/bear.propaganda
Click image to watch the video
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