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Continent: Wasteland EP

These five songs go for the throat and don’t relent until you’ve turned blue and rigor mortis has set in.
Continent
Wasteland EP
We Are Triumphant
2014-09-30

Continent is a deathcore band from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. That city is best known musically, perhaps, for the ‘80s glam hard rock group Honeymoon Suite, and, let me tell you something, Continent is a world away from Honeymoon Suite. I had to turn down the volume while listening to this EP in my apartment, lest any of my neighbours think that I was participating in a ritual goat sacrifice or something along those lines. Continent is the sound of pure, non-distilled evil. Vocalist Evan Sennuck doesn’t so much sing, as reach deep inside his throat and expectorate whatever demons possess him. And you may have thought that Canadians are nice. Not these guys. The Wasteland EP is heavy, heady stuff. Full of sludgy mid-tempo pacing, guitars that moan more than wail, and the aforementioned grunts for vocals, these five songs go for the throat and don’t relent until you’ve turned blue and rigor mortis has set in.

However, distinguishing between these songs is a bit problematic, because they essentially all sound the same. There’s little to no variation between the songs, aside from the odd flighty metal guitar solo here and there. Otherwise, Continent sound a lot like a bunch of jackhammers going off. This all is grist for the mill about what the outfit is going to do for an album, how they can make something in the 40 to 45 minute range not sound like one big sonic squalor. As it stands, the Wasteland EP is compact and easy to take since it is just 17 or so minutes long. It’s just that Continent will have to throw a few more tricks and curveballs into their bag if they want to sustain interest over a longer period of time. Still, if you really want to scare your neighbours, crank the Wasteland EP up really loud. One of two things will happen. You will either get a noise complaint, or a city official will come along to ask where your permit to carry out building construction is.

RATING 6 / 10