Vestiges – ‘The Descent Of Man’ Review

Recently I interviewed the German band Downfall of Gaia and they mentioned they were doing a tour in the states with an amazing band called Vestiges from Washington, DC. After such a decent band giving the thumbs up on Vestiges, I went to get my own opinion of them. The Vestiges album ‘The Descent Of Man’ is available for free download or on beautiful double matte black gatefold vinyl, cassette or recycled gatefold CD all from their website. The album is an extremely well produced mixture of dark atmospheric post hardcore, with crust styled vocals. If I had to draw comparisons, I’d think of European bands like Fall of Efrafa, Monachus or Alpinist. Lyrically Vestiges sing about the extinction of man and the fear of god. Expressing deep anarcho-primitivism ideals “Rejoice, reclaim, and rebuild what mankind has taken for granted”. Don’t get me wrong it’s not like Crass, where there is a message being shouted at you. It’s more of a dark epic type atmospheric sound. With each song numbered in Roman numerals rather than a track title making it more long like one piece or a soundtrack.

Download the entire album Vestiges – ‘The Descent Of Man’ for free, courtesy of the band here

The band and a filmmaker are currently in the process of producing a film to visually capture the theme of The Descent Of Man. Following “the creation, the evolution, and the eventual annihilation of mankind. Today, we find ourselves hoping to reverse the damage that we have done and struggling to sustain what little earth we have yet to rape repeatedly. We validate this existence with stories that justify our behavior and our role in the natural world. The promise of salvation in a land we have yet to see has clouded our judgment in a land that is right before our eyes.”

I really hope they make it to Europe for some gigs. To check out Vestiges go to www.wearevestiges.com, or to get an idea of what they are talking about, take a listen to John Zerzan‘s radio show or watch the documentary End:Civ Resist Or Die. Vestiges are currently on tour.

with Lake of Blood
June 9 Olympia, WA at House Show
June 10 Seattle, WA at Autonomia w/Alda
June 11 Vancouver, BC at Garbage Mountain
June 12 Portland, OR at TBA
June 13 Salem, OR at The Wasteland
June 14 Medford, OR at TBA
June 15 Oakland, CA at Yourhaus/Hazmat
June 16 Santa Cruz, CA at Forest Show
June 17 San Francisco, CA at Sub-Mission Art Gallery
June 18 Garden Grove, CA at The Cabin
June 19 San Diego, CA at Che Cafe
June 20 Las Cruces, NM at Trainyard
June 21 Eagle Pass, TX at 3759 Tina Dr.
June 22 Austin, TX at The Broken Neck
June 23 Shreveport, LA at Dalzell House

with Autarch
June 24 Chattanooga, TN at TBA
June 25 Charlotte, NC at Lunchbox Records w/YAITW

with Full of Hell
June 26 Washington, DC at TBA
June 27 Doylestown, PA at Siren Records
June 28 New York, NY at Stolen Sleeves Collective
June 29 Boston, MA at Pa’s Lounge
June 30 Holyoke, MA at The Rowhouse
July 1 Quebec, QC at TBA
July 2 Montreal, QC at TBA
July 3 Ottawa, ON at Cafe Dekcuf w/Alaskan
July 4 Toronto, ON at TBA
July 5 Kitchener, ON at TBA
July 6 Windsor, ON at Holden House
July 7 Cleveland, OH at Tower 2012 w/Homewrecker
July 8 Columbus, OH at TBA

with Lapse
July 9 Pittsburgh, PA at Helter Shelter w/Code Orange Kids
July 10 Williamsport, PA at The Garage