Portuguese black metallers Gaerea are kicking off the week with bombast and flames, as they’ve just released a brand new track titled “World Ablaze.” Though they haven’t released any information about a potential new album or anything like that, today’s surprise drop feels like a bolt out of the blue.

As one would expect from the cathartic black metal band, the new single sort of builds upon itself until the sound and fury can’t be contained any longer, spilling over itself with raging vocals and pounding blast beats.

According to the band, the track is all about “desire, hope and freedom. A dance between life and death, hope and despair.”

“‘World Ablaze’ tells the story of a man who has lived all his life inside a cage. He knows that one day he will be set free and experience the world with its true colors. Unfortunately, he also knows that day will be his last hours alive.”

If this standalone single is a hint at what they’ve got cooking for their follow up to 2022’s Mirage, then the next release should be an interesting one.

Next month, the band will be heading out on tour throughout Europe with Wolves In The Throne Room and Mortiferum. If you’re going to be in the area, be sure to check out the dates below to see if you can catch Gaerea live.

CRYPT OF ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE 2024 European Tour Dates:

May 16: Copenhagen, DK @ A Colossal Weekend
May 17: Leipzig, DE @ Wave Gothic Festival
May 18: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
May 19: Cracow, PL @ Kamienna12
May 20: Budapest, HU @ Analog
May 21: Vienna, AT @ Arena
May 22: Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
May 23: Parma, IT @ Campus
May 24: Luzern, CH @ Schüür
May 25: Hoogeveen, NL @ Graveland Festival
May 26: Brugge, BE @ Cactus
May 28: Limerick, IE @ Dolans Warehouse
May 29: Dublin, IE @ Opium
May 30: Bristol, UK @ The Fleece
May 31: London, UK @ Earth
June 1: Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
June 2: Scarborough, UK @ Fortress Festival
June 4: Bochum, DE @ Zeche
June 5: Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom
June 6: Hamburg, DE @ Grünspan
June 7: Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater