Review: “The Hypercosmic Paradox” by Chaos Over Cosmos

For the past eight years Polish multi-instrumentalist Rafal Bowman has been searching distant worlds, using Science Fiction has inspiration for his compositions. Combining technical guitar work with cosmic atmospheres and progressive structures has taken his music to new, previously unimaginable heights with each passing album. Each record from his Chaos Over Comos project has been an offering of mystery and intrigue with vocalists including Javier Calderón, Joshua Ratcliff and KC Lyon having graced his music with their lyrical narratives and spellbinding performances. For “The Hypercosmic Paradox” he is joined by Taha Mohsin as the project enters its next evolutionary stage leaving us to wonder just how many adjectives we will need to find to describe his Progressive Metal with flourishes of both Technical and Melodic Death Metal this time around…

It doesn’t take every long for Bowman to demonstrate his fearless prowess either with “Nostalgia for Something That Never Happened” having a couple of jaw dropping technical solos straight out of the gate that blow the mind. The instrumental is lush and vibrant with synths patterns which feel like they’re from the latest Science Fiction blockbuster at the cinema are interwoven with drum programming which as ever is a means to an end. It would be fantastic hear tunes like this one with a drummer of flesh and bone behind the kit but as we all know, that would require a session musician and a studio which introduces a lot of cost to the project. To be fair, it would take someone of supreme talent like Mike Heller or Alex Rüdinger to be able to even come close to matching Bowman’s vision.

The first track with vocals is “When the Void Laughs“, a immersive tune that surpasses the nine minute mark and offers pure escapism. It allows you to get lost in a voyage of discovery as Bowman’s sublime instrumental parts capture the imagination and paint pictures in the minds eye. In stark contrast to the vibrant sweeping guitars and warm synths the drums set a blistering pace to create energy and intensity that drives the song forward with a cold mechanical undertone. For his part Mohsin’s vocals are savage, those of a classic Death Metal frontman from the 90’s Swedish scene, his guttural lows being few and far between on this one but enough to give you a fix. You can just picture him losing his mind listening to the soundscape and wondering exactly where he’s going have some input while at the same time being mesmerized by Bowman’s work. Whats interesting is that each song (and “song” doesn’t feel like a word that does these compositions justice) feels tight and sharp despite the duration, like a concentration of what you might get from other Progressive Metal bands.

Moments of Melodic Death Metal rise to the surface as the first verse of “Event Horizon Rebirth” unfolds with the synths in particular offering a throwback to albums like “The Serpent” by Still Remains. The difference here is that the energy is so much higher, the composition sonically much more densely packed with technical guitar work, staccato riff breaks, spiraling solos, tapping sections and with this gloriously epic quality. Even Paul Anderson’s Supernatural Science Fiction Horror classic Event Horizon from back in 1997 could be improved by having his on its soundtrack. Sounds like a good reason to remaster the movie for a 30th Anniversary edition in 2027.

If the title didn’t give it away “The Cosmo-Agony: Requiem” is a darker tune, a fleeting bass solo making way for the drum programming to get stuck in overdrive as the lightening solos descend in ridiculous fashion. The vocals come into play as the third minute approaches, Mohsin’s harsh vocals the perfect complement to the soul stirring darkness of this piece. How about some 90’s break beats? They’re the backbone of the final 90 seconds or so that is “The Fractal Mechanism“, a moment that feels very much like the kind of thing that should be on the closing credits of Thomas Jane’s series The Expanse. As an album this may only be 34 minutes long but its got so much squeezed into that time frame that you’re going to feel like you’ve been listening to something far longer. Technical Progressive Melodic Death Metal doesn’t get more beautifully otherworldly than this [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Nostalgia for Something That Never Happened
2. When the Void Laughs
3. Event Horizon Rebirth
4. The Cosmo-Agony: Requiem
5. The Fractal Mechanism

“The Hypercosmic Paradox” by Chaos Over Cosmos is out 15th December 2025 and is available over at bandcamp