Dead Cosmonauts – Parasomnia
Dead Cosmonauts – Parasomnia
Trepanation Recordings/ Do It Thissen Records
Release Date: 17.11.23
Running Time: 39:37
Review by Dark Juan
9/10
Dark Juan is from West Yorkshire. Do It Thissen Records has really earned my approbation by having the best name for a record label ever. Us Northern folk might be a little rough around the edges but by Christ we are a friendly bunch who will always say hello to you, even if you are a stranger. This, for some reason, terrifies the fuck out of Southern jessies who promptly go scuttling off into the shadows from whence they came. Dark Juan recalls having a good natured and very drunken disagreement with Paul-Ronney Angel of The Urban Voodoo Machine outside The Parish in Huddersfield as to who was the more Northern out of the pair of us, as Mr. Angel is from Norway. The argument was refereed by the widow of James Brown, Ms. Tommie Rae Brown. Who, it turns out is best friends with the fragrant and radiant goddess Beth-Ami Heavenstone, and was in a band called Hardly Dangerous with her back in LA. The argument also descended into giggling and hugs after about three minutes. Also in attendance was Gordon Wilkinson, ex-Lazarus Blackstar tub thumper (and the man who built my vestibule. Best workman ever – it took longer than it should have because we were having endless discussions about the best Queensryche albums) and now in Ironrat. He has been a friend for many years.
What was the point of this again? Oh yes, Northerners being a friendly and welcoming bunch. However, the music from Sheffield Post-Metallers Dead Cosmonauts is anything but friendly. What it is is in fact staggeringly complex polyrhythmic intensity and an exercise in power through superior intelligence. The Platter Of Splatter ™ is oscillating worryingly. ‘Kenopsia’ encompasses everything from Math Metal to a tinge of Jazz with some components of Sludge as well. I shall quote the band themselves for a far more erudite take on their music:
“An Orwellian dystopian sci-fi concept album at heart, “Parasomnia” is a surreal and dreamlike psychodrama for the ears built on labyrinthine song structures, exuberant musicianship, brilliant textures, angular rhythms, and thrilling twists and turns. Largely instrumental in approach, each track is woven together through the stark voice narration by radio presenter Alibhe Waterhouse, depicting an inhospitable endtime society polluted by chaos, despair, and hostility.”
Indeed. Also, being from the Steel City doesn’t help one’s state of mind, being as it is a dystopian urban wasteland around the glittering city centre and fiendishly difficult to get around if you are a motorist of any description. Dead Cosmonauts remind Dark Juan somewhat of the brilliance and social conscience of The Chronicles Of Manimal And Samara – both of these bands share the same bright intelligence shot through with despair at the state of the country/ world and are able to express this musically. They also share the same difficulties for poor Metal hacks to try and categorise, such is their absolute unwillingness to conform to any stricture or genre. The only difference is that Dead Cosmonauts rely on an instrumental approach with occasional spoken word narration and TCOMAS have the benefit of Daphne Ang’s cut glass poetry. Nevertheless, Dead Cosmonauts have a cerebral quality to their music that can sometimes be lacking in the world of Metal and Extreme music. Every single piece of music on “Parasomnia” drips with intelligence and sophistication, be it from the gentle opening parts of ‘A Vision From The Valley Of Dry Bones’ to the out and out rage in parts of album opener ‘Liminal Space (65 Mins REM, Vitals = Stable)’ the intelligence quotient never drops below genius. Which is a nice problem to have really and not one that Dark Juan is troubled with unduly.
However, Dead Cosmonauts now have the same problem as Owdwyr do, which is how do you top a debut album that is this good? Yes, “Parasomnia” is the debut long player from Dead Cosmonauts and judging by the maturity and skill of the performances of the whole band you would think that they had been playing this music for decades. Every single one of the fuckers’ playing is tighter than the collective chuffs of a million swarming gnats and the guitars I have just inherited are now going to have go unplayed because I could never hope to play as well as these people. Dark Juan’s level of guitar ability is famously low. I would even go as far as to call it subterranean.
So, dystopian instrumental genre-bending Metal from Sheffield for the win, eh? I should say so. This album has been a jaw-dropping pleasure from start to finish and Dark Juan cannot recommend this band highly enough. You know, decent bands from Sheffield are like buses – you’ve had nothing come along since The Human League and then suddenly you have Gozer and Dead Cosmonauts arrive at once. Dark Juan does so enjoy misery from grim Northern cities.
As there are “only” six pieces on this album (you’re not short-changed, they are long and staggeringly complicated) I was going to do a track-by-track overview of them, but I gave up halfway through the opening track as it would have taken over a thousand words just to describe what was going on in that single piece. I normally try and pack in a review at around a thousand words. Just trust me here, if you like complex, challenging music with a message you are gonna DIG Dead Cosmonauts.
The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System is waffling to get this review over a thousand words. Ah, it has succeeded! Dead Cosmonauts are awarded 9/10 for an album that is as intelligent as it is dangerous.
TRACKLISTING:
A1. Liminal Space (65 Mins REM, Vitals = Stable)
A2. Beneath The Choking Sky
A3. Kenopsia
B1. In Spirals It Took Everything
B2. Swallowed In Dark Waters
B3. A Vision From The Valley Of Dry Bones
LINE-UP:
Alexei – Bass and synths
Krist – Baritone guitar, synths, double bass
Neil – Synths
Nick – Drums
Phil – Guitar
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dark Juan and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
