31 January 2026 finally brought Gaerea to a Romanian stage, a band whose path has been defined by constant experimentation across black metal, post-black metal, and even hardcore. The Portuguese shared the Quantic stage in Bucharest with Морок, one of the projects of the Ukranian Illia Rafalskyi, centred on black metal, Wormgod, Romania’s own black metal force, and Severoth, Rafalskyi’s other project, grounded in atmospheric black metal.
What unfolded was a meeting of ideas, each bolder than the last, and of genres that did not merely coexist but intersected. There were reunions, first encounters, and the familiar ritual of leaving the venue with merchandise under one’s arm. But those matters can wait.
The evening deserves to be taken band by band.
Official announcement poster
© Quantic
Severoth: On Light, Height, and the Quiet Discipline of Sound
Severoth opened the night, standing before an already substantial crowd, with songs shaped by Ukrainian poetry, philosophy, and nature. For the Ukrainians, this was their first time setting foot in Romania with both Severoth and Морок, and the charge of a first meeting was present from the opening notes.
Severoth performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
They chose to guide the audience through a generous stretch of their discography, each piece falling into place with a sense of inevitability, as if the collection had been waiting for this exact night to exist.
Illia Rafalskyi performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
Material from “When the Night Falls…” [2015], “Vsesvit” [2020], and, naturally, “Шляхом світла” [“By the Way of Light”, 2024] was performed. Of all the pieces aired that evening, “Сонце зійде” [“Sunrise Will Come”] and “Колискову Співала Зима” [“Winter Sang Her Lullaby”] left the deepest mark on me. Perhaps this was also because they allowed the vocalist the space to demonstrate the full extent of his range and control.
It was evident that the band invests themselves fully in their music, and that the Quantic appearance had been carefully prepared rather than improvised. Just as noticeable was their warmth towards the audience, mirrored by a crowd that responded with curiosity and genuine admiration.
The venue was already well populated during the opening act, something that, frankly, does not happen every time when it comes to the opening bands. It was encouraging to witness, and judging by the murmurs around the room, many shared that sentiment.
Earlier that same day, in an interview conducted at Quantic, Rafalskyi stated that his sole wish was to make the listener feel as if they were standing on the summit of the highest mountain.
“Far above the sky.
Flying over forests like a bird.”
Did Severoth achieve this? I would say they did.
Not convinced yet? Here is the full recording of the set played at Quantic. Special thanks to Metal Romania! for that!
Wormgod: Old Curses, New Blood, and Motion That Refuses Stillness
After Severoth allowed the music to speak and silence to press down on the room, it was time for Wormgod to take over. I have had the chance to see Wormgod on multiple occasions, sometimes even unexpectedly, last year’s QFest being a good example, and every time I have walked in with the quiet certainty that things would be in good hands.
Wormgod performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
These are musicians with experience, people for whom every note carries intent and every lyric delivers a considered truth.
Wormgod opened with “My Blood”, the first track from “Where Old Curses Rest” [2022]. It is the kind of piece that sets the blood in motion, one that reveals something new with each encounter. At the same time, it gives the band ample room to display their technical command.
Octav Mediș performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
“My Blood” did more than open the show. It established a threshold. Once crossed, expectations were no longer modest, and Wormgod were fully aware of that. What followed was the heavier arsenal, delivered through “The Blossom of Fear” and “Failure’s Reign”. Both tracks sounded unrestrained and precise in equal measure, strengthened further by the relentless stage movement of Octav Mediș. Watching him remain still for more than two seconds feels almost impossible, to the point where, by the end of the show, I found myself joking that he had given me the most trouble when trying to record the band’s performance.
The physicality of the performance was not there for spectacle alone. It served the songs, reinforced their tension, and kept the room in a constant state of alertness. Every gesture felt earned, every surge of movement aligned with the music rather than competing with it.
And after the room had been properly stirred, after bodies had adjusted to the pace Wormgod imposed, it would have been a waste to let that energy dissipate. The night was far from finished, and the momentum they created demanded continuation.
Морок: Ritual, Mist, and the Echo of the Nineties
Rafalskyi returned to the stage with his comrades, and with them came the clear distinction between Severoth and Морок. Where Severoth leans towards atmosphere and introspection, Морок embraces a harsher black metal language, rooted in the old school sound of the 1990s. Forests and mountains are still present as imagery, but here they are refracted through mysticism.
Морок performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
Illia Rafalskyi performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
The shift in attire completed the picture.
Морок opened with “У вирі часів” [“In the Vortex of Time”] from “In the Dungeons of Mind”, an album that found its audience back in 2016. The choice proved effective. The crowd gradually pressed closer and closer to the stage, until the distance between band and audience all but vanished.
We remained in those mental dungeons with “Там, Де Ніч…” [“Where the Night…”], before turning towards rituals in the Carpathian mountains, with the aptly placed “Carpathian Fullmoon Ritual Part I”.
As with Severoth, the band demonstrated precision and projected a distinct energy, one that was immediately reflected back by the audience. I hope to see them again, as I told a friend with whom I used to listen to them during the freezing weekends of December.
And speaking of reunions, it is time to address Gaerea.
Gaerea: Masks, Memory, and the Theatre of Collapse
I discovered Gaerea relatively late, through a friend who also convinced me to attend Rockstadt Extreme Fest to see them live. At the time, they were touring “Coma”, an album built around themes of fractured identity, inner collapse, madness, despair, and the fragile persistence of hope. Mental confinement, silence, memory, and rebirth formed its core.
Gaerea performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
I remember nothing back then apart from the fact that the show was compelling, and that it was worth enduring the heat just to stay as close to the stage as possible. There was a striking contrast between the projected visuals, dominated by shades of blue, and the oppressive warmth of the air.
Now, the contrast has inverted. Their upcoming album, “Loss”, due later this year, revolves around shades of red, set against the cold outside Quantic.
Gaerea opened with “Hellbound”, from the new material. It is a complex piece that allows each member to inhabit the stage in their characteristic manner. It arrived without warning, because it did not require one. The song itself was the warning.
Gaerea performing at Quantic, 31 January 2026
© Ștefan Lupașcu
Next came “Submerged”, also from the forthcoming album, a track that drew many of us into a state of suffocation and emotional entrapment, echoing its lyrics of being held under by memory, guilt, and the past. This was the song I had most wanted to hear live ever since its release, and its placement in the list felt exact.
The inclusion of “The Poet’s Ballet” from “Coma” [2024] and “Salve” from “Mirage” [2022] was equally inspired. Yet beyond the structure of the collection lies what truly defines Gaerea on stage.
What they perform is theatre in its pure form.
Each song carries its own message, and in the live setting, each is paired with deliberate movements. Alpha commands attention step by step, but the other members are no less vital to the whole. Having flirted with theatre myself during adolescence, I can say with certainty that conveying meaning without facial expression is no small task.
Gaerea manage it.
They make the audience feel while wearing masks, and that, in itself, is no small feat.
No small feat was also achieved at the merchandise stands, towards which most people eventually gravitated, both during the concert and after it ended. In truth, it was nearly impossible not to at least take a look, given the variety on offer and the evident care put into its quality. In the same way, it was hard to leave the Quantic premises immediately, especially when it invited you to linger for another half hour over various drinks.
Either way, you went home with impressions. With the desire to see at least one of the bands from that evening again? Almost certainly. But until then, there are recordings and photographs to bring you back to the states you entered on 31 January 2026.
Till next time.
