After half a dozen albums and splits in the past five years you’d expect Downfall of Gaia to have things nailed down but this latest platter still manages to surpass expectations like a meteor gatecrashing the local firework display. Previous album Suffocating In The Swarm of Cranes had already propelled these Germans along the right path but Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay is a significant leap forward both in the intense chord struck by the overall sound and its execution. There are definitely some key areas of improvement I could mention straight off, not least of which is new drummer Michael Kadnar from New York post-black metallers Black Table who manages to perfectly frame the searing, tumbling rhythm of the sound and cope effortlessly with the constantly changing tempos, blast beats and musical warping that goes on in here. And whereas previous effort Suffocating…, although very good, still felt a little like it hung together loosely in places, Aeons is tighter and comes together like a continental-sized landscape of noise rather than a collection of instruments playing alongside one another. Downfall of Gaia’s formula has fallen into place. A constantly gathering squall of grainy sludge and atmospheric black metal that elevates the band from a promising upstart to the ranks of full-on contender.
What’s fascinating about Downfall of Gaia is that, despite the scorched-earth vocals and the complex and tightly-spun, crusty arrangements, many of the riffs are disarmingly simple. But don’t let that fool you. Aeons merges elements of drone, black metal, ‘post’ black metal, doom and sludge together into a haze of sound that feels almost organic. But then everything grinds to a halt as one of those simple, finely-crafted riffs builds into a bellowing crescendo of noise that leaves you teetering on the edge of Aeon’s vast soundscapes. After a serious statement of intent with opener Darkness Inflames These Sapphire Eyes, which immediately puts some distance between Aeons and the last album (although previous releases, and particularly the 2011 split with In The Hearts of Emperors, are pretty much all highly recommended), the second track Carved into Shadows erupts in an explosion of hallucinogenic sound and raises the bar even further. There are undoubtedly comparisons with the likes of Neurosis and Isis here but better ones are from the more recent post-hardcore/sludge brigade like Fall of Efrafa or the excellent Nux Vomica (definitely one of my best finds this year) as well as the obvious army of piercing tremolo-led black metal and post-black metal bands out there.
The second half of Aeons then begins to sprawl confidently outwards. On first hearing, I was a little nervous they simply wouldn’t be able to pull off after the impact of the first few tracks. But To Carry Myself To The Grave whips itself up into a mighty storm and, just when you think the band has to pause to consider the devastation it has caused, in drops the pure, cold atmospheric black metal anthem, Whispers of Aeons: a gigantic package of riffs and an almighty breakdown at its centre. Aeons finally finishes up with the haunting Excavated which feels a bit more like classic Downfall of Gaia territory rather than the desolate, post-black metal landscapes found on this album. But who am I to argue, and the mood the band creates throughout is absolutely in keeping with previous efforts even if this feels like it has set about creating the benchmark for this type of music. It’s rare to find a band these days which manages to maintain such levels of intensity while remaining to focused on their chosen musical path in the way that Downfall of Gaia does with Aeons Unveils The Thrones Of Decay. The perfect blend of post-black metal meets post-hardcore sludge. It probably takes a couple of listens to take in the scale of the release. But after you’re caught in its flow you’ll struggle to do anything but gasp for breath.
(9/10 Reverend Darkstanley)
Leave a Reply