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It's pretty funny how many genre labels I've seen attached to these guys; "epic darkcrust" takes the bacon though. Downfall Of Gaia are a relatively new addition to the Metal Blade roster hailing from Germany and providing a brand of black metal complete with post-metal styling and hints of that whole progressive sludge scene (or whatever seems to be hip these days).

Anyway, genre curiosity aside Downfall Of Gaia basically provide a style of post-black that is routed further towards hardcore than traditional first or second wave. The production is excellent, and the band generally sound massive with a rounder tone than usual for the style, although still providing enough to let the tremolo-style riffs shimmer. The drums have an authentic black metal feel, particularly in the snares and kicks, although I must mention that the cymbals sound great, vibrant and natural.

Suffocating in the Swarm of Cranes crashes over you like a tumbling wall of grey bricks, and when it's rocking, it does just that. On the other hand the band dabble in some overlong atmospheric parts which I've found lose a little focus. Overall this is pretty good, and I'd imagine fans of acts such as Tombs would no doubt find enjoyment here.