Introduction
There are comebacks that simply revisit the past, and then there are comebacks that use the past as a foundation for something new. For Australian post-black metal band Nontinuum, “As I Leave This Body” represents the latter. Released on September 3, 2026, the single marks Nontinuum’s first official new music since 2012 and offers the first glimpse into the long-awaited follow-up to their debut full-length, The Stars You Gathered, The Stars I Destroyed. More than a decade after the band disappeared from the underground, Nontinuum have returned — not simply to repeat what they created more than ten years ago, but to continue developing the atmospheric and melancholic identity that first established them.
Artist background
Nontinuum were founded in Australia in 2010 as a bedroom recording project rooted in atmospheric and depressive black metal. The project’s early work resulted in the demo Dwelling In Oceans, released through Misanthropic Art Productions. In 2012, Nontinuum released their first full-length album, The Stars You Gathered, The Stars I Destroyed, a record that attracted attention within the international underground. After building a presence around their debut material, the band quietly disappeared in 2013, leaving their existing catalogue as the main document of the project’s musical identity. For more than a decade, there was no official new Nontinuum material. Then, in 2025, something changed.
Review of the song
The original Nontinuum lineup reunited for a special performance at Essence Festival in 2025. That appearance marked the beginning of a new chapter for the band and, ultimately, led toward the creation of new music. “As I Leave This Body” is the first official recorded result of that return. It is therefore more than simply a new single. It is the first musical statement from Nontinuum after a period of more than ten years away. Rather than presenting the band as a nostalgic recreation of its earlier era, the new material suggests a willingness to expand the musical language established on their early recordings.
Musical analysis
The atmospheric and melancholic character that defined Nontinuum’s early work remains present in “As I Leave This Body”, but the new song deliberately moves beyond traditional black metal conventions. The track is built around expansive guitars, understated melodies and immersive production, creating a broader sonic space around the band’s darker foundation. Nontinuum themselves point toward an unusually wide range of reference points. Hum and The Smashing Pumpkins sit alongside Sólstafir and Drudkh in the musical landscape surrounding the new material. That combination is revealing. It suggests a band interested not only in the intensity and atmosphere associated with black metal, but also in the possibilities of expansive alternative guitar music, melody and texture. The result is a track positioned somewhere between darkness and openness — maintaining a connection to Nontinuum’s origins while allowing the songwriting to move into new territory.
Why listeners should pay attention
The importance of “As I Leave This Body” ultimately lies in what it represents within the band’s wider story. This is not being presented as an isolated return. It is the first glimpse into a larger body of work that Nontinuum are currently developing, with a new EP expected in January 2027. That makes the single an important starting point. After the long silence that followed The Stars You Gathered, The Stars I Destroyed, “As I Leave This Body” provides the first indication of where Nontinuum may be heading next. The gap between 2012 and 2026 is substantial. But rather than attempting to erase that gap, Nontinuum appear to be using it as part of the story.
Conclusion
There is a particular strength in returning after such a long period of silence. A band can either attempt to recreate the sound that originally brought attention to them, or accept that time has changed the musicians, their influences and their creative perspective. Nontinuum have chosen the latter path. The atmospheric foundation remains intact, but “As I Leave This Body” opens the door to a wider musical vocabulary. The connection to atmospheric and depressive black metal is still fundamental, while the broader guitar-driven approach gives the new material additional space and emotional dimension. It is a direction that makes sense for a band returning in 2026 rather than simply attempting to recreate 2012.
Recommended for fans of
Atmospheric black metal, post-black metal, depressive black metal, Sólstafir, Drudkh, expansive alternative guitar music, and bands that balance darkness with melody and texture.
Follow the artist
Stream “As I Leave This Body” on Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube, and follow Nontinuum on Instagram and Facebook for updates on the forthcoming January 2027 EP. Origin: Australia. Genre: Post-Black Metal.
Bandcamp: https://nontinuum.bandcamp.com/album/as-i-leave-this-body
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2hxl1hFIM7ZsVDUGXocMHd
YouTube: https://youtu.be/20bDWDwWN_Y
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nontinuumband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nontinuum
© Tomi Perrakoski / Metal Madness Weekly
