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KONTACT
Full Contact

Dying Victims Productions / Jawbreaker (2024)
Rating: 8/10

I just adore the strong cover art colours of this, the debut full-length album from Canadian quartet Kontact. One cannot overlook the cosmic mysticism of this opus, a record that has been created by the rather mysteriously named The Alien (vocals and bass), Matt B1257+12Z (guitar), Morh Morf Xela (guitar) and Unknown (drums).

Naturally, when any band is obsessed with sci-fi strangeness, Voivod is the ideal reference point and in this case I hear a lot of Voivod here. First and foremost the vocals have that unorthodox vibe; a strange sneering yap which some may find somewhat irritating, although at times it’s not all that far removed from Denis “Snake” Bélanger (Voivod). However, I really dig the mechanical smirks because they add an extra layer of peculiarity to proceedings as this posse takes us on an uncanny adventure.

At points the vocals become King Diamond-styled shrieks as they lace a speeding, clanking soundtrack of tin can tumbles and tin foil landscapes. It’s classic droid metal, if I may coin a term, where thrashy but angular segments blur with subtle, kaleidoscopic heavy rock and traditional gallops, especially on the catchy ‘Heavy Leather’ although abrasive passages are never far away. ‘(Return Of The) Astral Vampire’ sees the band at their most serrated and sneering, while ‘Bloodchild’ is Kontact at their weirdest as they rattle like a sinister mash of Mercyful Fate, Voivod and Ghost but with a goth rock rumble.

It may be an acquired taste as this is a record that really does grumble from an otherworldly place and yet it’s not like that jazzed up tech-thrash fusions. Instead, it simply exists like some extraterrestrial tribe that only emerges at night to bash its steel drums to the echoes of Hawkwind. ‘Ixaxar’ has a punky edge and ‘Doppelgänger’ channels rusty punk too, although wherever you turn with this outing you’ll find plenty of twists to not only keep you rocking but also provide a sense of unease too. An intriguing debut for sure.

Neil Arnold

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