Based on German mathematician Georg Cantor’s ‘Continuum Hypothesis’ and bridled with expectant technicality, US death metaller’s Continuum have hardly been reserved and uninspired on their début release, The Hypothesis (Unique Leader). Taking lyrical inspiration from such a complex subject matter (if you want a detailed rundown of this particular hypothesis, you’re going to have to google it this time) is a very bold statement for a band who are clearly looking to stand out.
Their variant of technical death metal is expectedly complicated and initially hard to follow and does show some signs of forward thinking but even still at times proves somewhat familiar. The shifts in tempo and between differing harsh vocal styles bear a striking resemblance to the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder through the album’s majority, whilst the occasional breaks with atmospheric interlude passages do nod towards the more prog leaning counterparts like Fallujah so there is some lack of its own identity.
For the most part it is all done very competently and far from overly complicated for the sake of actual song writing. Production is precise and short, sharper song durations make it all the more digestible until the elephant in the room, the final track, the nine-minutes long ‘Steppes To Ascension’ which brings any momentum they built to a crashing halt. With no deviation it continues on one solitary pace with a jarring guitar riff that repeats throughout, this seems laughable considering the seemingly effortless intricacy the rest of the album shows.
A very promising début that shows all the ability in the world but, in the case of the album’s conclusion, perhaps possessing a fault on the quality filter.
6.0/10
CHRIS TIPPELL