Album Review: Downfall Of Gaia – “Ethic of Radical Finitude”

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I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH DOWNFALL OF GAIA BEFORE OPENING THIS ALBUM, SO MY FIRST LOOKS ON THIS ALBUM WERE TOTALLY BLIND. I HAD NO EXPECTATIONS OTHER THAN A READTHROUGH OF THEIR ARTIST PAGE ON METAL BLADE. AND THOUGH THE WIKIPEDIA PAGE SAYS THIS STARTED OFF AS A CRUST PUNK BAND, THIS ALBUM IS DECIDEDLY NOT THAT. PUT DOWN THE MODELO.

ETHIC OF RADICAL FINITUDE WASTES LITTLE TIME IDENTIFYING ITSELF STYLISTICALLY AND WITH TEXTBOOK EXECUTION. IT OPENS WITH A BRIEF YET SLIGHTLY TOO QUIET INTRO TRACK, BEFORE DROPPING INTO LIKE A DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF DS POSTBLACK BLACKGAZE FOR “THE GROTESQUE ILLUSION OF BEING”. THIS BAND SITS FIRMLY NEXT TO OTHER ACTS LIKE MGLA AND GHOST BATH AND WOULD BE WELL HOMED ON THAT ATMOSPHERIC BLACK METAL ALBUMS YOUTUBE CHANNEL THEY KEEP TAKING DOWN FOR WHATEVER REASON.

ETHIC FEATURES HEAVY SERVINGS OF THE LONG ANGUISHED TREM SECTIONS BENEATH HOWLED THROUGH TEN REVERBS VOCALS WE EXPECT AND MAKES FREQUENT USE OF THE INCREASINGLY POPULAR MELANCHOLY BLAST FREE INSTRUMENTAL SECTIONS WITH FOLK INSTRUMENTS TO BREAK THINGS UP. THEY DO HOWEVER DECIDE TO BENCH THE FEMME CLEAN VOCALS UNTIL TRACK FOUR.

THIS ALBUM IS NICE AND SHORT. WHICH IS A THING I LIKE. IT’S SAD, IT’S SPOOKY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS RECORDED FROM FAR AWAY IN A CAVE WITH A FULL STUDIO BY A REALLY GOOD SOUND ENGINEER. IT’S THE SOUNDRTRACK TO DYING ALONE UNDER THE SWELTERING DESERT HEAT WHILE LOOKING AGONIZINGLY INTO THE DISTANCE IN A WIDE ANGLE. IT WAS A COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE ALBUM TO LISTEN TO, THOUGH I DON’T THINK THEY TOOK A LOT OF RISKS.

IF I WAS TO ASK FOR THIS AT A RESTAURANT I WOULD ORDER A SIDE OF BULLET BELTS. BUT I DIDN’T TAKE OFF ANY POINTS FOR TASTE.

3.5 OUTTA 5 STARS.