Downfall of Gaia – Silhouettes of Disgust
Release Date: 17th March 2023
Label: Metal Blade Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Post Metal, Crust, Punk.
FFO: Light Bearer, Masakari, Anopheli, Fall of Efrafa, Archivist, Regarde Les Hommes Tomber.
Review By: Mark Young
This is the sixth album from Germany’s Downfall of Gaia, and before today I had never heard their music. They are described as black metal, crust and punk, which are the sort of things I can gravitate to.
Immediately flying from traps, Existence of Awe hooks you with rapid fire drums and a cold guitar line that underpins the shrieked vocals. It is a start and half that slows to allow the final minutes of the song and the tension to dissipate. Spoken word closes this out, with the drums taking up the real heavy lifting.
This continues with The Whir of Flies, with the bpm’s staying at that constant speed that just pummels you. With this, they are not afraid to slow the pace and rely on faster than light musicianship. Everything is done to serve the song so that when it kicks off again it really grabs you.
While I don’t see the punk / crust elements that isn’t really important, as what they do is deliver some well-built songs that give you light / dark dynamic, so it isn’t just blast beats and double bass which is nice but ultimately boring for the listener. Bodies as Driftwood is one such track and is in a class of its own.
It’s a credit that they have managed to craft an absolute stormer here given some of the introspective subjects – addiction, loneliness and with Eyes to Burning Skies it has a mournful, lone voice that segues into a full-on black metal nightmare and what you will find that there isn’t a single weak track on this album. If this represents post black metal, then it should put them at the forefront of that movement.
This is a really strong album, it does everything you want from this genre and whilst I can’t say if it will attract new listeners to this style, it has the hallmarks of an album that should be on people’s playlists now. It manages to tell a story that takes in what it means to be alive and how humanity always finds a way to shoot itself in the foot. They have managed to do this whilst maintaining their artistic intent behind each of the song topics, and it is unrelenting in how it just attacks you.
It avoids the pitfalls of excessive song length or repeating the same motifs on each track. The bio talks about the return of guitarist Peter Wolff which seems to have provided them with fresh impetus and the inclusion of synths and female led vocals (by Lulu Black) just gives them an edge.
01. Existence of Awe
02. The Whir of Flies
03. While Bloodsprings Become Rivers
04. Bodies as Driftwood
05. Eyes to Burning Skies
06. Final Vows
07. Unredeemable
08. Optograms of Disgust
(4 / 5)
