Kontinuum – Earth Blood Magic

Releasedate: 24-08-2012; Label: Candlelight Records
By: Martine Goffard

To write the review of a first album is very exciting because you never know what lies beneath the front cover. Who says Iceland and metal says at once Sólstafir or Potentiam. Unlike the other Nordic countries, Island is still not overcrowded by metal bands. This raises the curiosity to discover the new productions. It’s with a huge pleasure and I would even say honor that I will talk about Kontinuum and their first album “Earth Blood Magic”. Friend of doom-black metal, this is for you!

Kontinuum exists since 2001 and is the child of Birgir Thorgeirsson, member of the previously mentioned Potentiam. Still, it’s only in 2010 that Kontinuum was set up and that a first album was recorded.
Let’s have a look at the title: “Earth Blood Magic”. We have here all the components of the enchanting Iceland: the melancholy and coldness of the barren lands, the mystic ancient singing and above all, the complete solitude. Like the eternal night of winter, this album thrusts us into pitch black darkness with the powerful “Endgame”. This is magnificent doom music. The harsh riffs are loaded with despair, like a scream tearing your heart apart. The lyrics are nearly inexistent, barely a few words, the music says all. The long “Steinrunninn Skógur” keeps on that way, cold as the wind, the Icelandic singing sounding like a complain, so sincere and so pure. Then, the songs progress between dark and progressive metal, still with the same gloomy intensity, just slowing down as if stuck by the ice. You can even hear the footsteps in the snow on “Lýs Milda Lyós”. Comes “Red”, sung mostly by a female guest. Close to the softness and electro-ambient touch of a The Gathering song, this is a superb, sorrowful love song. Red is the turning point of the album. After the long fall into the abyss of winter we have finally hit the ground. “Red” is a prayer for the sun. It calls for the last song: “I Gljufradal”. The intro is a highly depressive piano solo accompanied by deep Icelandic singing. Then the music stops… and here, on the sound of the violin, comes the first sunbeam of the spring sun.

Birgir Thorgeirsson said: ‘It was and is a spiritual process.’ Yes, it is a journey in the infinite sadness and beauty of the Icelandic soul. Bravo.

Line up
Birgir Thorgeirsson – singing, guitar
Engilbert Hauksson – bass
Ingi Þór Pálsson – guitar
Kristján B. Heiðarsson – drums
Thorlakur Thor Gudmundsson – (said nowhere)

Tracklist: 01 Endgame 02 Steinrunninn Skógur 03 Moonshine 04 Stranger Air 05 Lightbearer 06 City 07 Lýs Milda Ljós 08 Red 09 Í Gljufradal

Links:
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