Release Date: 12th January 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD
Parasomnia - Tracklisting
1.Ouro
2.Lethean Dreams
3.Tayir Alfiniq
4.On Migoi's Trail
5.Innervision
6.Hundred-Handed Wards
7.Boros
Review
Parasomnia is the new album from Psych Doom/Stoner Rockers Qilin who have taken on a Cosmic and Progressive sound compared to their well received 2020 debut album Petrichor. This record has a more aggressive stance with Qilin playing sounds that have a brutal onslaught of epic sludgy jams whilst retaining a laid-back and chill out style of Instrumental sounds that are easily compared to bands such as Yawning Man.
The opening song Ouro is a Post-Doom affair with moments of Post-Rock, Stoner Rock and a massive Ambient Sludge based movement which is played at a delicate slow pace which allows Qilin to perhaps become more Post-Metal or Doom Metal obsessed within the short run time of the track. There’s a lot of emotional substance with Qilin playing an intense melodic style of music that has a killer dramatic theme before suddenly ending and moving onto the next exciting track.
Second song Lethean Dream opts for a chilling Post-Rock sound with snippets of ice-cold Post-Doom instrumental jams that merge with a classic Desert Rock approach. The Psych Rock elements are perhaps too laid back for some but Qilin are slowly building up the atmosphere to play exciting levels of Post-Rock/Post-Metal grooves which have a haunting quality to them. The atmosphere becomes volatile, fractured and allows QIlin to play moments of Sludge Metal clarity you don’t expect especially with the technically impressive and fast-paced sounds that allows some unexpected screeching guitars to fully lead the creative charge.
Third song Tayir Alfiniq once again sees Qilin play a standard Post-Rock sound with a lovely Desert Rock attitude before the aggressive Sludge/Stoner Metal guitars brings a certain PELICAN or RUSSIAN CIRCLES energy to the party. The music becomes more forceful with a gloom and doom environment merging into extended Prog Metal based instrumental jams. This is perhaps the more daring side of Desert Rock you’ll likely encounter in a long while with Qilin playing with a jagged and steely determiniation.
Qilin play that style of music for the remainder of the album with bittersweet and emotionally charged melodies changing into more apocalyptic melodies which venture through the complex musical structures of Post-Rock, Post-Metal and Doom Metal whilst still holding it’s Stoner Rock/Metal DNA on outstanding tracks such as: On Migoi’s Trail, Hundred-Handed Wards and the standout final track Boros.
Parasomnia is a refreshing style of Instrumental Rock/Metal for the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene to discover. As Qilin offer their own unique style with flashes of upbeat Desert Rock allowing moments of breathtaking clarity before changing into a different and aggressive style of music to fully lose yourself in.
This is an intense and emotionally charged album which Qilin should rightly be proud of. As Parasomnia is a worthy record to be part of everyone’s record collection.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Qilin for the promo.
Parasomnia will be available to buy on CD/DD on January 12th 2024.
Links
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