Kontinuum from Iceland
knocked me over completely with their 2012 debut, 'Earth Blood Magic', which is one of those albums I
always return to, one way or the other. Somehow though I missed that the band
were in the studio recording their sophomore release, 'Kyrr'. But that
doesn't matter since I finally got my hands on it and....holy hell, what a
wax! Nothing has really changed from the debut, well I'm wrong, one thing has
occurred and that is the band is better than ever. The compositions are
stronger, the musicianship is better...everything is better, you hear! Since
the debut was extremely strong, being able to surpass it shows enormous talent
in all departments, and as a fan that's what you want. You want
"your" bands to retain their sound, yet constantly evolve so they
don't stagnate. Based on their two albums I have no fear that Kontinuum would
do such a thing...ever! They are simply too good and as a supporter I couldn't
ask for more.
From the opening
bars, Kontinuum takes me on a journey of other-wordly proportions. The soaring,
eerie guitar grabs my attention immediately. It pulls me in and puts me in a
trance, so by the time the rest of the band joins in I'm perfectly set to
embrace the beauty and magic of these Icelandic shamans. Opener 'Breathe'
ties in all what this album is about in a way. It weaves back and forth between
tempos in short bursts but it always returns to the atmospheric, transcendent
dimensions where Kontinuum moves so elegantly.
Four songs are sung in
Icelandic, 'I Huldusal', 'Hlidargötu Heimsveldi', 'Kyrr' and 'Undir
Punnu Skinni', and although I don't understand a word, I love them. Most
times, singing in your native tongue gives more power to the songs and
lyrically/vocally they are more unrestrained and freer in feel. Not that the
songs Kontinuum sing in English are bad, on the contrary, but to me singing in
your own language elevates the meaning of a track.
Towards the end 'In
Shallow Seas' and 'Red Stream' sees the band bring in their
influences. Both have a fantastic feel of early 80's indie punk/rock mixed with
early Paradise Lost, Sisters Of Mercy and Katatonia played punishingly heavily.
Yet the melancholy and the trippiness of all their songs remain. Don't know how
they do it, but it's amazing.
If you are looking for
highly original, unshackled and one-of-a-kind music, look no further than
Kontinuum. Only a couple of years into their career, they are miles ahead of
most bands and with what they have accomplished so far, there is no telling how
far they can go. If you have never heard of this fantastic band, the new wax 'Kyrr'
is an excellent start but I urge you to get your hands on the debut, 'Earth
Blood Magic' as well. Both are genial separately but are even better played
back to back.
- Swedebeast
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