Careus - In Aethere

Band: Careus Album: In Aethere Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Country: Mexico Label: Independent Released: September 15, 2025 Introduction: Careus is a one woman black metal project from Mexico. Helmed by Victoria Carmilla H. (V.C.H). It serves as but one of many of her creative outlets. Careus takes the shape of raw black metal and paints it in shades of despair, beauty and melancholy. Track Listing:

1. In caelo alieno
2. Memoriae amissae
3. Stella cadens
4. Lacrima
5. Aether

The EP: In Aethere unfolds as a haunting and immersive landscape built on atmosphere and subtle repetition. Melodic guitar lines drift and drone in long, melancholic arcs, forming a hazy foundation where ambience and emotion intertwine. The shrieked vocals feel distant and mournful, not overpowering the mix but inhabiting it like a ghostly presence lingering just beyond perception. Rather than demanding attention, they reinforce the album’s spectral mood, dissolving into the surrounding sound.

As the EP progresses, the intensity increases without abandoning its somber core. Later tracks are more aggressive than the opening moments, yet remain steeped in the same pervasive melancholy. Where the early material feels like a haunting dream, these passages evoke something far more unsettling, closer to the claustrophobic dread of sleep paralysis. The guitar work becomes more assertive here, carrying the songs with memorable, looping phrases that linger long after they fade.

A persistent sense of droning ambience runs throughout the release, creating a feeling of vastness paired with emptiness. This paradox simultaneously expansive and hollow defines much of In Aethere’s emotional weight and is something Careus handles with remarkable restraint. The atmosphere never feels overstated; instead, it settles slowly, like fog in the early morning hours, refusing to fully lift.

The drumming remains subdued across the EP, but its role is crucial. Steady blast beats and measured rhythms provide a mechanical, almost ritualistic foundation, anchoring the drifting melodies without breaking the album’s trance-like flow. Nothing here feels showy or excessive; every element exists in service of the greater mood.

“Lacrima” acts as the true emotional culmination, weaving together the melodic sorrow of the opening track with the more dissonant and unsettling tendencies introduced later. It stands as a final, deeply haunting swan song before the EP recedes into silence. “Aether,” serving as an ambient outro, gently guides the listener outward. Its minimalist composition and swirling melodic guitar lines feel like a quiet departure into the unknown, echoing the atmosphere that first drew the listener in.

Conclusion:

In Aethere is an exercise in restraint and atmosphere, a work that offers a fleeting glimpse into a world both vast and intimate, eerie and beautiful. Careus crafts a soundscape that is at once haunting, melancholic, and emotionally distant, yet profoundly immersive. Each track contributes to a larger, cohesive vision. For listeners drawn to black metal that favors mood, texture, and dissonant atmosphere, In Aethere will surely resonate.

BMZ Rating: 8/10

Your thoughts on this review.

We love to hear your opinion about this album. You can do so by becoming a member and commenting on this post.

Or share your opinion and thoughts on our social media channels, or join the discussion on our Discord—where we talk about all things black metal. Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page, Black Metal Zine, for updates on our latest articles, and take a look at our Instagram @blackmetal.zine for concert photos and more!