Dark, ominous, yet not completely hopeless, Downfall of Gaia's music is as uplifting as it is overwhelming. The aural peaks and valleys fill the often lengthy tracks with a rewarding listening experience.
The quartet was founded in the middle of 2008 and, after a few member changes, ended up with their current line up: Domink Goncalves dos Reis (guitars and vocals), Peter Wolff /guitars and vocals), Anton Lisovoj (bass and vocals) and Johannes Stoltenburg (drums). The members of Downfall of Gaia reside in various cities throughout Germany. Their practice space, however isn't in one of the common German fashion cities like Berlin or Hamburg, but in Hannover, a city many people connect to the Scorpions. Not to a sound that is reminiscent of an avalanche of black earth, boulders and mud.
Downfall of Gaia have developed their current sound over the course of several years. In their early days of existence, they could easily have been described as a crust band. During this “crustier” period, they released a split in 2008 with French band Kazan. A year later, they released a tour EP, and in 2010 Downfall of Gaia finally released their debut album “Epos” with the help of a few DIY-labels.
When Downfall of Gaia is not in the rehearsal room or in the studio, they welcome life on the road and tour whenever and wherever they can. They have not only performed on countless stages in the German speaking countries, but also in countries like Italy, the UK, France, the Netherlands and in several cities in various countries in Eastern Europe. They have even made a trip across the Atlantic to the United States for a small, but intense tour. Downfall of Gaia's live intensity is unwavering, whether they are performing to ten guests in a club or in front of thousands of people at a festival.
Downfall of Gaia's DIY attitude lead to their next release in 2011: a split-LP with Sweden's In the Hearts of Emperors on the Alerta Antifascista label. The album was also released by Moment of Collapse and Shove Records. The release displayed a massive step forward, both musically and lyrically.
Though their origin was very crust-infused, the band has taken a much different approach to more recent material. Fast d-beat influenced songs have given way to longer, slower tunes. Recent material can be described as enormous creations that encroach upon the listener like a towering monolith. Their new sound draws elements from doom, black metal, down tempo, sludge and even hardcore. The end result is an aesthetic not lacking in majesty of depth.
Downfall of Gaia has just finished recording their newest collection of songs. The concept album, “Suffocating in the Swarm of Cranes”, will be released in the second half of 2012. Their continued growth has raised the bar and expectations are very high for what is sure to be a massive, encumbering album for fans of all things progressive and heavy.