Downfall of Gaia

Neaera – Neaera Review

By Mark Z. on March 7, 2020 in 2020, German Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Metalcore, Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 11 comments

“No matter how hard you try, you can never really escape your past. By day I’m the kvltest of the kvlt, blasting the blakkened fukkin death while wearing a shirt that depicts Jesus getting flogged by a horde of goat demons. But when I curl up at night with my plesiosaurus plush, I know at heart I’m still the same mid-aughts core kid who got his start in the metal world with Killswitch Engage and their ilk. Even today, when the promo teat runs dry, sometimes I find myself returning to where it all began: core.” Damn core kids!

Mark Z.’s and L. Saunders’ Top Ten(ish) of 2019

By Dr. Wvrm on December 29, 2019 in 2019, Blog Posts, Lists, 54 comments

Mark Z. and L. Saunders have their moment in the blackened sun to proclaim their Top Ten(ish) preferences for 2019. Fear the words.

Latitudes – Part Island Review

By Kenstrosity on April 9, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, British Metal, Debemur Morti, Doom Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Metal, 49 comments

“I have historically shown more than a little apprehension towards the post-metal tag. At first, I felt it screamed pretension, a trait that tends to break my enjoyment of music if not kept in check. Lately, though, I’ve reassessed my opinion after finding deep enjoyment of bands often placed within the post-metal spectrum—Astronoid, Downfall of Gaia, and more recently, Latitudes.” No man is Part Island.

Downfall of Gaia – Ethic of Radical Finitude Review

By Mark Z. on February 6, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, German Metal, Metal Blade, Post-metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 115 comments

“Downfall of Gaia hit me hard in recent years, blowing me away with 2014’s Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay and 2016’s Atrophy. Both albums explored the idea of a world in decline with a combination of post-metal and black metal that proudly upheld the torch of the almighty (and sadly defunct) Altar of Plagues. Yet fifth full-length Ethic of Radical Finitude initially made me nervous due to its somewhat pretentious title and the fear that the German quartet had no tricks left in the bag.” Is the downfall upon us?

Karg – Dornenvögel [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Master of Muppets on December 19, 2018 in 2018, Art of Propaganda, Austrian Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Atmospheric Black Metal, 65 comments

“If you’re like me in more socially acceptable ways, you fvcking love Harakiri for the Sky. Something about those cloying tremolo-picked melodies coupled with J.J.’s soulfelt screams just fucking does it for me in a way that I can’t get enough of, so checking out homeboy’s one-man blackened adventure, Karg, was a no-brainer for me while I waited out February’s Arson. Thank Jørn I did, as it gave me the opportunity to properly anticipate the project’s then-pending 6th full-length release, Dornenvögel, and likewise be that much more satisfied by its utter fucking greatness.” Karg the Exterminator.

Avast – Mother Culture Review

By Master of Muppets on October 30, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Dark Essence Records, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 83 comments

“Dear Kronos, If you’re reading this, it’s already too late. When the respective hazes of gun smoke and cranial-injury clear, you’ll find your army of feral pigs disposed of and your fortress reduced to rubble; I even sang Porcupine Tree as everything burned to the ground, how’s that for brutal, yo? Anyway, you knew this was coming. You had something of mine – that’s right, had. Not only are you down a fortress and a pig army, but you’ll also find yourself no longer in possession of Avast’s Mother Culture.” Speak the Charm of Taking.

Abstracter – Cinereous Incarnate Review

By Mark Z. on June 18, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, I Voidhanger Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 46 comments

“I was once pretty optimistic about the future, but in recent years my outlook has grown progressively more dismal. Humanity has continued to ravage the planet while conveniently ignoring the fact that perpetual growth is impossible, and the result will be a future more nightmarish than a thousand blackened sludge bands could ever conjure. Of course, that doesn’t stop them from trying, and few succeed at evoking these apocalyptic images as well as Abstracter.” Dismal cool.

Iperyt – The Patchwork Gehinnom Review

By Mark Z. on December 13, 2017 in 2017, Black Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, Pagan Records, Polish Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, 20 comments

“On paper, Iperyt actually sound pretty fucking good. Industrial blackened death metal from Poland? Featuring the vocalist of possibly the angriest metal band of all time, Infernal War? Now there’s something that’ll get my engine purring. Sadly 2006 debut Totalitarian Love Pulse was sloppier and less than interesting than the industrialized version of War I was expecting, and 2011 follow-up No State of Grace didn’t seem to please many critics either.” Metal on paper is just sheet metal.

Record(s) o’ the Month – November 2016

By Steel Druhm on December 6, 2016 in 2016, Blog Posts, Record o' the Month, 154 comments

“November was sure to be a much easier month to sift through than October, which was outright ridiculous. Of course it had its share of standouts, but most of the AMG intelligentsia was in agreement where the November crown should be placed. Since this is such a rare occurrence, we were able to render a timely posting, which is in itself quite rare.” No turkeys here.

Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy Review

By Mark Z. on November 11, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, German Metal, Metal Blade, Post-metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 29 comments

“When you get right down to it, the world fucking sucks. Even ignoring the current political situation in my home country and the environmental degradation occurring globally, what really gets me are the everyday frustrations. My printer stops working. My friends don’t text me back. My fucking car gets towed because it’s parked a few inches closer to the road than it’s supposed to be. Sometimes it feels like we’re all just stuck in a mad carnival of constant digital interruption and arbitrary regulation, to the point where we either drink ourselves to death from anxiety or say “fuck it all” and go live in a shack in the woods somewhere.” Doom Shack! Rusted.