Over the course of the past few years, Iceland has become a hotbed (or cold bed; however you want to say it) of metal. Skalmold, Dynfari, Ophidian I, Solstafir and others all call Iceland home and all have their own uniqueness to stand out in front of the growing pack. Though it’s not about to eclipse Finland, Sweden or Norway in terms of the amount of excellent bands anytime soon, the Land of Fire and Ice is slowly taking a firm grasp on metal.

Enter Kontinuum, a progressive post-black/quasi doom metal act, and their debut album Earth Blood Magic. Mixing many different elements from within the world of music, Kontinuum doesn’t appear to be a band that is about to paint itself in any corners. Their delivery is eclectic and their sound varies from song to song. One moment they will be hammering away in thrashy black metal savagery, another time they’ll slowly bring an anvil down onto the listener.

What makes Kontinuum a better listen than most bands in this splintered subgenre is that they weave various soundscapes within each song. Sometimes the tones are laced with bleak dreariness to the point where you’ll want to gather your friends over for a cyanide party; sometimes the mood is more hopeful and enlightening. And then other times they’ll chug right along as a poor man’s Voivod.

While there isn’t a weak track anywhere to be found on the album, there are a few absolute highlights. “Lys Milda Ljos” is a hypnotic, spellbinding gem with its slightly ‘70s progressive rock angle. Another is “Lightbearer”, a mesmerizing hymn not unlike something crafted by Dead Can Dance. “Red” is a sweeping, solemn piece fronted by Agnes Erna Stefánsdóttir; it’s a chilling, slower number that oozes depression and despair.

It’s obvious that Kontinuum have taken much time in crafting each and every passage on Earth Blood Magic. There’s never a moment where the various interludes or tempo changes sound forced, a talent not too many bands of this ilk can boast. It’s going to be fun to see Kontinuum develop as artists because with a debut as strong as this, there’s no telling how much better they will become.

[Visit the band's website]

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