Formed in 2008 and armed with a handful of releases (at least one of which sports an Alerta Antifascista label sticker-- how's that for punk cred?), Germany's Downfall of Gaia have made great strides in the evolution of their sound, but have never faltered in the execution of their intent. The still-young quartet started life as a self-described crust band, but we're not talking garden variety Disclose or Antisect worship here; Downfall of Gaia have always embraced the darkness within, and allowed it to manifest itself in their music.
They exist within the same vacuum as bands like Fall of Efrafa, Agrimonia, and especially Morne (who also transcended a more straight-forward punk past to create something much more complex and post-metallic), a realm that cherishes its prized Neurosis, Hellbastard, Cult of Luna, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Nausea records. Their first, self-titled demo was swathed in the same kind of muted, graceful passages that grace their latest effort, which balances out the measures of fervent hardcore punk and grating screams. They've just swapped places. Suffocating in the Swarm of Cranes relies far more heavily on Isis-inspired post-metal and mournful, cathartic black metal for inspiration, though shades of their grimy past and appreciation for Amebix's depressive, wintery moments are on display.
Instrumental opener "[Vulnus]" drones and heaves its way into the post-black metal spiral of "Drowning By Wing Beats", a mellow, mid-paced number that tempers its moodiness with a smattering of hoarse roars and athletic drumming. At first listen, "In the Rivers Bleak" seems as though it may as well have been written by Altars of Plagues, but slowly peeling back its layers reveals a doomier inclination and keening feedback squeals; its truly crushing mid-song break, coupled with startlingly bleak, beautiful strumming, make it a highlight. "I Fade Away" is unnervingly pretty, with lone, chiming guitar weeping into the void before launching into anthemic hardcore underscored by tremolo around the three-minute mark. They lose some steam around this point, though.
"Beneath the Crown of Cranes" is a fairly standard amalgam of post-rock and angsty hardcore-- the pattern is apparent, the soft/loud dynamic is a given, and the next song, "Giving Their Heir to the Masses", is more of the same. "[Asphyxia]" closes out the record with the same earnest post-metal touch it started out with, and almost an hour later, the light's gone out. Each song feeds back into the next, and each clocks in at between eight and 11 minutes, with the exception of the five to six-minute instrumentals bookending the proceedings. The length isn't entirely necessary, though the album flows well, and would be a cracking accompaniment to a gloomy, lonesome day. There's fat to be trimmed and ideas to be fleshed out, but overall, Suffocating in the Swarm of Crane is solid.
