_{By Trevor Myers}

Kasadoom, based in Salt Lake City, is a rock band made up of Cole Barnson and his friends. The band says their sound was inspired by ’60s garage rock, psychedelia, and pop music. “Verona” is currently the band’s most popular song on Spotify, with more than 10,000 plays, and seems to be a good blend of their influences. 

From the ’60s-style illustration of the album cover to the trippy synths and screeching guitars, Kasadoom’s Space Cowboy Death Cult presents exactly what you’d expect from an album with such a name — and a bit more. The project is tied together by the opening and closing tracks “White Light” and “Resurrection,” bringing listeners along on a metaphorical musical journey from death to rebirth. The former song features constant repetition of the phrase “white light” near the end of the song in an almost hypnotizing manner; the latter descends into a beautifully chaotic chorus of increasingly frantic drumbeats and guitar riffs as “let’s go swimming in a lake of fire” is repeated louder and louder. These two tracks make the album more cohesive with their similar, yet distinct, structures.

The track that caught my attention the most was “Blood Stained Eyes,” the second song on the record. In between the slightly distorted electric guitar of the chorus, there are some reggae influences that bring an interesting and irresistible groove to the track. If you told people you wanted to dance to a song called “Blood Stained Eyes,” you would probably get some concerned looks. Regardless, the track is a killer second song.

Lyrically, however, there are some things left to be desired. The similar sonic structure of the opening and closing tracks, which helps bring the album together, may also start to feel almost too formulaic. Six of the songs on the album have lyrics that are repeated more than three times in quick succession, most often the songs’ namesakes being repeated over the dramatic ending of the tracks. However, there are definitely some interesting lines that bring in the overall psychedelic-rock vibe of the album into the tracks — like “I’m a clone / By myself but never alone” being used to open “Blood Stained Eyes” and grab listeners’ attention.

It would be great to hear Kasadoom lean into a heavier sound for a few more songs in the future. Given the variety of sounds already present on Space Cowboy Death Cult, Kasadoom could very likely concoct another record that goes to even more extremes — more psychedelic, more rock, more of it all. Increasing the mingling of a psychedelic pop sound with a heavier rock sound on one record, or even on one track, would heighten the attention-grabbing juxtaposition of their work. They already have such a distinct sound, and it can only be solidified by further delving into their influences.

With only seven songs and a runtime of less than 23 minutes, the entire project goes by quickly, but smoothly. It’s a perfectly sized introduction to the band and their sound, and if you have an extra 23 minutes in your day, take a psychedelic, frenzied journey with Kasadoom and their Space Cowboy Death Cult.

Make sure to follow Kasadoom on Instagram. You can listen to “Blood Stained Eyes” below!