Review DOWNFALL OF GAIA ‘Silhouettes of Disgust’

The German metal collective Downfall Of Gaia have been working on their sixth album and now the result of their efforts hits the record stores. After the predecessor ‘Ethics of Radical Finitude’ was released just before the pandemic, fans of the band had to wait four long years for a follow-up album. With ‘Silhouettes of Disgust’ the wait is now over.

The quartet has remained true to its extreme metal roots and even harkens back to the earlier DIY/crust punk days. At the same time the band grew over all the years and combines the merciless brutality of the early days with a post black metal approach of the past albums. Moreover, atmospheric moments provide variety and depth, which skillfully breaks up the blast passages.

Downfall Of Gaia’s work on the new album was, despite the long time between albums, an efficient collaboration. Among other things, this has to do with the fact that a founding member, Peter Wolff, returned, making the songwriting process more creative and faster.

Photo: David Stöcklin

Things kick off with the d-beat driven ‘Existence of Awe’. This massive sounding opener sets the tone of voice for the album. Hoarse vocals, rabidly raging guitars and atmospheric sounds are the harbingers for what the album has to offer in its entirety.

It is noticeable that Downfall Of Gaia have cut down the length of the songs. One looks for nine to ten-minute songs in vain. The band settles at 5-6 minutes and has with ‘Eyes to Burning Skies’ a very listenable track on offer. This contains special features and should definitely be checked out. On the one hand, it is the quiet and almost peaceful beginning, which offers a counterpoint to the ultra-fast moments. On the other hand the four guys got female support for the first time. Lulu Black gives the beginning of the song an emotional depth before a metallic inferno breaks loose after three minutes.

Dystopian are the lyrics of the new album. Each song reflects the story of a resident of a fictional metropolis. Closely linked to this are terms like loneliness, dependence, social pressure, etc., which also explains the title of the record. In such an environment, the individual is a lone wolf surrounded by silhouettes.

‘Silhouettes Of Disgust’ has become a brutal, profound and filigree album which with songs like ‘Unredeemable’ reminds of the dystopian atmosphere of ‘Escape from New York’. This album gets under your skin.