Dead Kosmonaut "Rekviem" M-LP

Dead Kosmonaut isn’t your average throwback heavy metal band. Yes, they’ve got the galloping basslines, soaring twin guitars, and an unmistakable NWOBHM spirit, but listen closer, and you’ll hear something much stranger floating beneath the surface. Fronted by the legendary Hellbutcher (of Nifelheim fame), this Swedish outfit launches traditional metal straight into the stratosphere with a heavy dose of 70s prog, doom-laden balladry, and Krautrock atmosphere. Think Iron Maiden meets Captain Beyond, jamming in zero gravity. The result? A sound that’s at once familiar and alien. Tracks cruise through spacey textures and psychedelic swells, only to drop anchor with thick riffs and tight chugs. While the band often plays it straight, favoring structure over chaos, there’s an underlying tension that feels ready to break into cosmic freakouts at any moment. Even when the execution feels restrained, it’s clear Dead Kosmonaut are working in a space all their own: part retro-metal worship, part experimental voyage into the unknown. For fans of classic metal with a head full of stars and a heart of doom, Dead Kosmonaut offers a strange, immersive journey worth taking even if it doesn’t always play by the rules.