Continuum Of Xul – Falling Into Damnation

Continuum Of Xul is an Italian Death Metal quartet, founded at an unknown time and place in said country – However, the FaceBook page of the band has been up and active since 2019, so my best estimate would be that the band officially came to being around that time (something that is further backed up by the fact that they released a Promo album late that very same year). Since then, the band has released a further two releases, namely a Split album with Abyss Of Perdition as well as todays subject, an EP carrying the moniker Falling Into Damnation. 

Musically, Continuum Of Damnation is a very decent example of a Death Metal band; The music is slow, relentless and vicious with an everpresent sense of menace throughout, at the very least, this entire EP’s 18 minute runtime. They seem to be heavily influenced by the Death Metal acts of yore (specifically, it seems, the work of Morbid Angel and Immolation), seeing as how they have deliberately kept their musical style on a slow burn as opposed to the more popular and, I suppose one could argue, more relevant fast-paced approach. That does not mean that Continuum Of Xul is any slouch however, with tracks such as “Blasphemous Redemption” having quite a temper on it, injecting the entirety of its runtime with quite a bit of bite. Sadly, however, I was unable to pin-point any particular video of just this track on YouTube, so I instead, courtesy of Lavadome Productions themselves, will instead link to the EP in its full glory. 

As to the EP itself, I did find it to be a rather enjoyable little teaser of what the future might hold (ideally more Death Metal bands will take up the mantle and follow in the footsteps of the legends of the past – But then again, that might just be my personal, Bolt Thrower-biased opinion shining through). But, aside for my normal criticism I always feel obliged to pull out whenever I get my hands on a Demo or an EP (they are just too damn short for my liking), my one gripe with Continuum Of Xul is that I think they did what they set out to do a little too well. 

Falling Into Damnation is a fine example of what old-school Death Metal sounds like, to the point that I, sadly, an unsure that I will be able to remember their music and combine them with their performance moniker several months down the line, since they fall into the large, homogenous mass that is the genre with all noticeable markers as a band filed off. I immediately recognize both of their influences (as well as Bolt Thrower for that matter) whenever they are playing due to them managing to create a unique sound and to twist the formula while still staying true to the overarching genre, something I would have loved to see more of in these four, clearly very talented musicians. 

Nevertheless, the founding members are all very established musicians in their own right with many other projects to their name, so I am certain that it is merely a matter of time before said unique approach will surface. And I will be keeping an ear to the ground as a result. 

Continuum Of Xul | Facebook