Belgian mathcore heavyweights BEAR announce new EP; stream single
Photo Credit: Yngwie Vanhoucke
Belgian mathcore heavyweights BEAR have announced their new EP Anhedonia, to be released 22nd May via Pelagic Records.
In celebration of the news, the quartet have today revealed their single 'Empty Markers'.
Watch the video for 'Empty Markers' here: https://youtu.be/PzBPakFyxIQ
Stream and pre-order Anhedonia here: https://orcd.co/bear-anhedonia
From the first ferocious moments ‘Empty Markers’ introduces BEAR’s unrestrained power and compositional ingenuity. Through each section of the song momentum is never lost, every riff lands with purpose, every rhythmic shift creating a push a pull that wrestles between melodic hook and rampaging intensity. From feral roars to whispers, from stark clarity to jarring razor sharp edges, this track ushers in the adrenaline-fueled EP with devastating effect.
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."
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
Tracklisting:
1. Empty Markers
2. Lacerate
3. The Smile
4. Anhedonia
5. Metastatic