The second release from Icelandic band Kontinuum is called “Kyrr” and it’s quite a good album! The band occupies the same post metal/ambient metal/prog metal space that Ghost Brigade, Katatonia and countrymen Sólstafir occupy. “Kyrr” gets started with the song “Breathe” which is a driving gothic metal rocker which reminds me a bit of Moonspell. It is one of the songs sung in English. The band are one of the few bands that I have come in contact with that sing in multiple languages on a single release. The chorus of “I’m addicted to you, I’m addicted” is quite ADDICTING and very catchy.
The band doesn’t let up from there. The next track “Í huldusal “ was released months before the album as a stand-alone single. Again, the chorus will have you singing along and even if you don’t speak Icelandic, you will definitely try to do so! The band can certainly rock out as the title track proves. Things get moodier on “Undir þunnu skinni” which has more of a Sólstafir-like vibe to it. It’s hard not to compare Kontinuum to the more well-known band from Iceland but I think both bands use their surroundings to color their music and give it an added depth and presence that bands from outside their homeland cannot.
“In Shallow Seas” and “Red Stream” round out the album nicely with the latter being a heavier track (again with English lyrics that are catchy!) that both closes the album on a high note and bookends the opening track as well. The bottom line is that “Kyrr” is a very satisfying album and shows that Iceland boasts its share of great bands beyond Sigur Rós!
