Chaos Over Cosmos never stops creating.
So it’s with a new album that Polish musician Rafal Bowman (all instruments) returns, still accompanied by KC Lyon (vocals/composition) for the release of A Dream If Ever There Was One.
Continuum kicks off with a countdown, followed by this solid melodic surge which lets a devastating guitar flood us with piercing and frantic leads before a jerky final throws us into Fire-eater, a relatively similar composition at first glance which will eventually welcome the vocalist’s devastating screams. Metalcore roots compete with soaring influences under this double kick roll, followed by ever faster and sharper leads, letting few clean vocals reveal heady tones before violence resurfaces just like on Navigating by Moonlight and its ethereal rhythmic, contrasted by an ultra-fast basis and modern keyboards as well as the participation of Keaton Lyon, the vocalist’s brother. Vocals’ abrasive strength is sometimes replaced by a visceral intensity which is wonderfully combined with the instrumental, then the band follows without delay with A Mantra of Oppression, which skillfully mixes the polished technical parts and more jerky patterns. The singer offers us a melancholic and heavy diversity which easily contrasts with the aggressive leads, before the roles are reversed and mixed, letting the final offer us a moment of respite which will be broken by the long and melodic Ebb and Flow[ers], a track on which fury feeds the heavy and chaotic riffs. The dissonant sounds welcome Trip-Hop influences to slow the track down, then Melatonin will close the album in ambient keyboards’ softness and lightness.
The band also decided to cover four tracks of The Ultimate Multiverse to give them an upgrade to their current style, whether it is on the vocals (since the previous vocalist left the band), or concerning the arrangements made on effects, mixing or arrangements. We obviously keep the cybernetic soul of these tracks, strengthened by the musicians’ firepower.
With A Dream If Ever There Was One, Chaos Over Cosmos continues to feed its modern and complex universe at a very regular pace. The band’s riffs are always as technical and efficient, making it a sure but still underground bet.
85/100