Release Date: September 29, 2023
Antwerp-based progressive hardcore band BEAR herald their triumphant return with their highly-anticipated new album, "VANTA". Emerging from the crucible of personal trials - cancer, a global pandemic, broken relationships, and profound loss - BEAR has crafted an album that resonates with the pain, anguish, and fear that defines our human experience.
"VANTA", named after the darkest known substance, represents the band's voyage through their most challenging times. It is a testament to their resilience, an unapologetic and unrelenting auditory journey that fearlessly navigates through the storm of adversity. But beneath its ferocious exterior, the album also uncovers the beauty nestled within suffering, underscoring the profound truth of no light existing without darkness.
Comprising eleven tracks, "VANTA" stands as a beacon of perseverance and fortitude in the face of life’s tumult. Opening with 'Atone' and closing with 'Andram', the album takes listeners through a rollercoaster of emotions, each track a chapter in their personal saga. Tracks like 'Cisplatin' and 'Defeatist' manifest the battle with cancer, while 'Earthgrinder' and 'Cells' lay bare the mental struggle brought on by isolation in the pandemic.
In 'Piece', one of the standout tracks, BEAR harnesses the raw intensity of '90s hardcore, melding relentless screams with brutally downtuned riffs. It is a disorienting, yet seductive testament to their reputation as one of the scene's most punishing live acts.
"VANTA" is not just an album. It's the embodiment of BEAR's journey through personal and global upheaval, their transformation from victims of circumstance to harbingers of hope. It is a clarion call to all who hear it: In the face of the bleakest darkness, there can still be light.
As BEAR continues to evolve and forge their path, one thing remains certain: fear the BEAR.
