MAREA, whose monicker translates as “tide,” is a one-man band founded in Italy by multi-instrumentalist Matteo Balzarini in 2023. The project’s genre can be summarized as a blend of atmospheric black metal and post-doom metal. The EP “Adrift,” out on May 9th, 2025, via Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music, comes about one year after the debut full-length album “The Silence of Rust.”
The EP consists of three tracks, for about 20 minutes of music in total, and sees drummer Alessandro Mori as a session member.
The first thing that struck me while listening to the EP was the remarkable variety and diversity across its three tracks: a notable achievement, especially within such a well-established subgenre, where most listeners have clear expectations of how it should sound. The primary influences are unmistakably early KATATONIA and the broader depressive suicidal black metal (DSBM) scene, with its signature blend of melancholic melodies and raw emotional intensity. However, a pronounced shoegaze element is present, particularly on the second track, “Rusted.” For reasons I cannot completely pinpoint, it evokes strong memories of SMASHING PUMPKINS, perhaps due to the pervasive sense of melancholy paired with a distinctive guitar tone that recalls the dreamy, textured soundscapes characteristic of that band, as well as shoegaze.
If the opening tune, “Useless,” offers a good number of shades of melancholy, both musically and lyrically, thanks to an evocative rhythm and main riff, as well as a suggestive chant that makes it quite accessible, the second track, “Rusted,” as mentioned above, shows a different approach and a shift in the atmosphere. The acoustic elements are counterbalanced by an extreme vocal style, creating a wider emotional depth and a sense of introspection, in a way that is slightly reminiscent of acts such as HERETOIR and LANTLÔS.
The closing tune, “Marea,” is the longest in the tracklist, as it exceeds 8 minutes. It can be considered a semi-instrumental song, featuring occasional screams in the latter part of the song. Its mood does not differ much from the one found on the previous track: it is smooth, mellow, and infused with a dreamlike vibe, enhanced by a good production, that should not be taken for granted in the subgenre it belongs to, I would say. Naming a song after the band is a bold move, as in my humble opinion, it inevitably ends up representing the act on a deeper level, as a full-fledged symbol of the whole concept and worldview the band is about. It does not sound like a limiting factor in this case, as the tune does really have all the core elements of MAREA as a musical entity.
EPs are often seen as transitional works between major releases, but I believe this perspective is best appreciated in hindsight. Right now, “Adrift” stands as a compelling showcase of MAREA’s sound and artistic vision, leaving listeners eager for more and genuinely curious about what comes next, which is exactly as it should be.
Written by Licia Mapelli
Tracklist
- Useless
- Rusted
- Marea
Lineup
M.B. – guitar, bass, vocals, songwriting, lyrics
Label
Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music
