DOWNFALL OF GAIA To Release New Studio Album ‘Silhouettes Of Disgust’ In March; Music Video For New Track ‘Bodies As Driftwood’ Unveiled
January 19th, 2023
German doom metal band Downfall Of Gaia issue sixth full-length studio album Silhouettes Of Disgust on March 17th, 2023 through Metal Blade Records.
Silhouettes Of Disgust marks the return of guitarist Peter Wolff, who departed the band in 2015 in order to focus on family and other pursuits. “We started in October of 2021 and went into the studio in April of 2022,” noted vocalist / guitarist Dominik Goncalves dos Reis. “Having Peter back – who founded Downfall Of Gaia together with bassist / vocalist Anton (Lisovoj) and I in 2008 – was the big difference this time. For Ethic Of Radical Finitude (2019) and Atrophy (2016), I prepared all the guitars by myself before the four of us started working on all the details, which is a much longer way of working than doing everything as a couple.”
Silhouettes Of Disgust was initially slated to be recorded with producer Timo Höcke at Die Wellenschmiede studio in Hamburg, however a few days before recording was due to commence, Höcke unfortunately contracted Covid. “Due to schedules, family matters and private life, the planned time frame was the only chance to record the album without losing several months, so with drums tracked in New Jersey at Backroom Studios together with Kevin Antreassian, we ended up recording the rest of the album alone in Peter (Wolff)’s studio in Hamburg. After recording guitars, bass, and vocals we went to Die Wellenschmiede for one day – as it was actually planned – and re-amped our own recordings, with Timo handling the mix and Jonas Romann (Chaos Compressor Club) mastering the record.”
Synths are included for the first time, while female vocals are provided courtesy of Lulu Black, who collaborates with drummer Michael Kadnar in industrial / gothic project This Is Oblivion.
The album title, Silhouettes Of Disgust, is derived from the narratives driving the songs, focusing on the stories of eight different people, as residents of a fictional metropolis, each with their own worries and struggles. “Loneliness, addiction, the fear of tomorrow, pressure from society / work and others, things that many of us probably know all too well,” explains Goncalves dos Reis. “You have to play along somehow, or you fall through the cracks, and once you’re down, it’s hard to get back up. It looks at selfishness and ignorance, the general way of dealing with each other – you’re one, surrounded by millions, surrounded by all these silhouettes of disgust, surrounded by the things you want to avoid and hate. The last few years have impressively proven what you can expect from humanity, and honestly, it’s not much.”
Cover artwork was designed by band members Peter Wolff and Goncalves dos Reis.
The track listing is as follows;
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01. ‘Existence Of Awe’
02. ‘The Whir Of Flies’
03. ‘While Bloodsprings Become Rivers’
04. ‘Bodies As Driftwood’
05. ‘Eyes To Burning Skies’
06. ‘Final Vows’
07. ‘Unredeemable’
08. ‘Optograms Of Disgust’
Downfall Of Gaia’s line-up is as follows:
Dominik Goncalves dos Reis (vocals and guitars)
Peter Wolff (guitars and backing vocals)
Anton Lisovoj (bass and backing vocals)
Michael Kadnar (drums)
A music video was filmed for the track ‘Bodies As Driftwood’, which can be viewed below.
“‘Bodies As Driftwood’ tells the story of a fictional person in a fictional big city who, under the cover of night, can finally be herself and escape the ever-increasing malaise of everyday life,” Goncalves dos Reis shared. “Hopes and dreams quickly give way to reality and threaten to break down due to outside pressures: Unpaid bills, problems at work, no social network, loneliness, no help, total overwhelm in a constantly accelerating zeitgeist… But at night she feels free – no punishing glances from others, no outside pressure, no stress, no expectations, just herself in the darkness while the world sleeps. Metaphorically speaking, this person uses the darkness of the night as a protective veil. Although this person is surrounded by millions every day, she experiences absolute loneliness on a daily basis.”
Fifth studio record Ethic Of Radical Finitude was issued in February 2019 via Metal Blade.
