KONTINUUM - Earth Blood Magic

This band really is a strange brew, and even stranger is the style they play. They come from Iceland, and this is their first full length album so far, although it's a rather experienced band. The idea of the band started as a side project back in 2001, when Borgir, the founding member of Potentiam, teamed with formed members for a band that would blend Dark Metal and Punk. Kontinuum saw the light of day someday in 2010, almost a decade after, and this is their first attempt to bring their trademark to the music scene. First thing to notice here, and the most obvious one, is the atmosphere of the music, which is always present and somehow dominating the whole album. Maybe because of their origin, or maybe because they just done it on purpose, there's a dark and rather chilly atmosphere in the music, that brings feelings of despair and depression to the listener. While listening the album, and trust me, it ain't an easy listening, more and more things come to surface, and you have to be 100% concentrated to explore it. With influences from Katatonia being amongst the most obvious, the band is not hesitating to explore new elements whenever this feels comfortable, and incorporate whatever makes their music even more dark and ominous. Ritualistic choirs, keyboards, female vocals, everything is so wisely used to achieve a better result. Along to their melodic side, the band is also flirting with more aggressive forms, with the same success. The songs are interesting, with nice musicianship, enough ideas that the band explores to the maximum, few weak moments, and produced in a way that preserves the atmosphere and the mood of the music. A very different album, full of nice music, not the kind of music that will motivate you drink beers or bang you head along with the rhythm. But nevertheless an album that it's challenging and fun to listen to.

8/10