Downfall of Gaia – Silhouettes of Disgust (Review)

Downfall of Gaia are a German post-black metal band and this is their sixth album.

Following on from 2016’s Atrophy and 2019’s Ethic of Radical Finitude, Sillhouettes of Disgust brings us a new 45 minutes of Downfall of Gaia’s idiosyncratic mix of black  metal, post-metal, sludge, blackgaze, and crust.

Downfall of Gaia have crafted an immersive atmospheric experience from their diverse elements. Reaching backwards to the band’s earlier crust influences, taking stock of their more recent blackened post-metal soundscapes, and looking forward with the inclusion of synths, this new material is richly wrought.

Silhouettes of Disgust is an expressive and textured work, despite offering a more concise version of Downfall of Gaia; the songs are generally noticeably shorter on average than we’re used to. The band waste none of these condensed durations, worldbuilding with ease as they craft their engaging music.

Silhouettes of Disgust finds Downfall of Gaia raw and honest, musically and emotionally. It’s harsh and desperate, yet also carries within it beauty and emotive appeal. This album is simultaneously one of the more violent displays of the band’s talents and also one of their more emotively compelling; you can feel the despair and hopelessness given off by the music a mile away. It is a raging slab of blackened crust that delivers straightforward aggression, yet also has uncharted depths for the listener to explore.

An impressive album that has much to unpack and to allow to unfold, Downfall of Gaia have produced a record that is worth spending the time to get to know.

Very highly recommended.