MOMENTUM is a Psychedelic Progressive Doom/Metal band based out of Iceland, formed in 2003. "Fixation, At Rest" is the band's debut LP and was originally released in 2010. It contains ten tracks. A soft and brief interlude called "Intro" leads into "Metamorphose." Though there is minimal instrumentation and gingerly vocals at first, it doesn't take long to hit you full on. Totally switching gears and the musical key at some point, the Doomy elements are probably most the most pronounced sound you hear. But there is also a real dissonance present with the way the riff progresses. "Holding Back" is similar in pace but with a more crushing and weighted sound. The odd guitar notes tell the story of total bleakness and an area where hope cannot even be thought of, much less uttered. The interlude that slowly settles and tempers the previous anger is a really sublime sound.

"Red Silence" has a somewhat more conventional sound but still brims with the uniqueness that this band brings to every composition. The vocal parts alone are delivered in three distinct styles, ranging from uttered sterile lyrics, to stark cleans, to being sung by a small choir of children. This and the chord changes really allow for emotional highs, even if some of them are utterly sorrowful. "As the Skies Break" opens with a meter than I cannot quite define before flowing into a quicker 4/4 pace. The vocals are especially bemoaned in this track but are fierce in their impact. Towards the end we have another stark change to clean vocals and more saddened bleakness. "Prosthetic Sea" is closer to the Metal spectrum than perhaps any of the other songs on the album. It smacks you heavily from the start and even when the clean vocals come into play the instrumentation remains oppressive.

Fulfilling the promise that this album could go anywhere, "The Eye that Leads the Way" features a suspenseful sounding piano melody accompanied by low strings and what sounds like a soft flute. The clean vocals sound like chanting you might hear echoing in a church. "Inspiration" has that lightly weighted quality that is hard to accomplish. It feels heavy and soft at the same time. The title track closes the album, and clocks in at almost ten minutes. The lead in is really quite sweet, but it doesn't take too long for the anguished vocals with a key change, to punch the coyness out of you. Around the mid-mark, it quickly steps back to a dark and gloomy ambiance with just ethereal presence. Creepy laughter and other background noises remind you that there isn't much joy here. The final push circles back around to the main distorted riff. Overall, I am confident that this is a completely unique album and sound that you have not heard put together like this before. It's Doom at the core, but in a totally unconventional way. With each new listen, you can delve deeper and deeper into meaning.<