(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): I WAS A COSMONAUT HERO

Sunday, 26 March 2017

I WAS A COSMONAUT HERO

Band: I WAS A COSMONAUT HERO

Genres: Punk / Post-Hardcore / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo / Post-Rock
Related artists: Laïka and Grand Terminal.
Country: Besançon FRANCE
Years Active: 2009-2014
Song: "Nous sommes seuls"
Album: "MMXIII"
Year: 2014
For fans of: Amanda Woodward, Gantz, Aporia, Daïtro, Nous Étions, Envy, Viva Belgrado, Sed Non Satiata, Aussitôt Mort, Mihai Edrisch, Suis La Lune, Gameness, Carcajou, Vi som älskade varandra så mycket, Via Fondo, Monte Ida, Careless, Subjects/Rulers and The Solexine Chapter aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Back To Reality Records / Des Bombes Des Fleurs / Desertion Records / Anarchino Records / Plastic Phant Records / Not A Pub / Dingleberry Records / Emergence / A L'ombre De Cette Vie Records / Orchidscent Records / Emotionally Unstable Records / No Way Asso / Impure Muzik / Suck & Cut / Ours / L'Artiisant Production / Saddest Song Records
This post's artist is from the March 2017 Mix. This is track #6.

You can download: the March 2017 Mix#3 right here or get the new April 2017 Mix#4 here.

Review by JESSE MOWERY:

I Was A Cosmonaut Hero was a band from France that were beautiful and crushing without having to rely on chunky riffs or breakneck speeds. I first discovered them when I was following a blog on obscure French hardcore and screamo bands called Psychoviolence (it’s still up and I highly suggest checking it out) and they posted ‘MMXIII’. After reading that members of Daïtro and Gantz had contributed to it, I had to listen to it immediately, and I was not disappointed in the least. Featuring beautiful guitars that create swirling melodies, rhythms that are never complex, but are a perfect backdrop for the guitars, and vocals that, while gruff, are still intelligible(although I don’t know French unfortunately). I had only listened to their earlier stuff a little bit before deciding to do this review, and each release offers something a bit different, although it’s still congruent with their overall sound.

Their first release was a 'self-titled' 4-song EP in 2012 that sounds similar to a lot of the early 2000’s French screamo bands like Gantz and Amanda Woodward. My favorite track from it is “Echéance”, as it reminds me of Sed Non Satiata, starting with a driving beautifully dissonant guitar part into some delayed out melodies that build into and epic ending.

In 2013 they released 2 songs on a 'split with Cheval and The Solexine Chapter', titled “Insomnie des lendemains (Part I)” and “Insomnie des lendemains (Part II). Part II seems more in line with their first release, while Part I is closer to where they would end up, although it’s still darker than what they would do next.

“MMXIII” is one of the most beautiful albums with screamy vocals I’ve heard this decade. While there is still some delay on the guitars at times, they mostly rely on weaving melodies in and out of each other rather than effects to create an ever moving wall of beauty. It’s hard to single any out because they all are wonderful, but "Mes faiblesses" and "Nous sommesseuls" both use violin to add to the tension. "Nous sommes seuls" also enlists the help of Aurélien from Daïtro to lay down some of their amazing vocals, and "L'envers du décor" had Max from Gantz doing some crazy shrieks as well. Unfortunately around the time this album was finished one of the guitarists left, and they talked about continuing with one guitar but broke up instead. 3 of the members now play in Laïka, who have only released a demo so far but seem promising.

If you like beautiful guitars with screaming vocal, then go listen to ‘MMXIII’ right now!

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2012 - I Was a Cosmonaut Hero cdrEP (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - 3-way split 12"LP (w/Cheval & The Solexine Chapter) (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - XXMIII 12"LP (stream here) [buy 12" here]

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(2014) I WAS A COSMONAUT HERO - "Les mains vides" (from 'MMXIII')