A principal as such requires care and sophistication that is often overlooked by most, but Downfall of Gaia is different. Teetering between distressing black metal motifs and subtle post-rock elements that invoke visions of ashen skies and urban decay, the amalgamation they present is stretched out by lengthy tracks that, in turn, supply rich instrumentation and near-perfect levels of drama. As I mentioned, Downfall of Gaia has a lot in common with Altar of Plagues; the striking tremolo picking and the bleak post-rock sections of Ireland's finest black metal export are the fulcrums on which these cogs turn. They are their own band, however, not some chumps mirroring an innovative group who find themselves stuck in a creative corner.

"Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay" is unbounded by limitations that would otherwise restrict its depth and variety. The songs are leviathans built upon small bits that are intricately balanced and placed carefully into the flow of the album-little nuts and bolts that stabilize the skyscraper. The disorderly drum fills near the end of "Darkness Inflames These Sapphire Eyes" and the soft chords leading the instrumental "Ascending the Throne" to segue into "Of Stillness and Solitude" as if they were one and the same are excellent examples of the album's ability to escalate in intensity and build up tension. The black metal riffs weave fluidly among storms of blast beats and sludgy sections, which work to grasp an unparalleled sense of dreadful beauty. Downfall of Gaia is a sight to behold.