Northern Ireland’s Paul Anketell, the self-taught musician behind WhiteRoomNightmare, has long been carving his path through the alt-rock and metal underground. With “Space Cadet“, the latest single from his forthcoming third album, Anketell shows not only his knack for immersive storytelling but also his willingness to shift tone and expand the sonic palette he’s been refining since 2021’s debut “The Way of All Things?“. Where earlier work leaned heavily into riff-driven intensity and bruising choruses, this new track opts for something more expansive, reflective, and narratively rich—an opening chapter in the astronaut’s tale he’s building across the record.
From the first seconds, “Space Cadet” makes it clear we’re at liftoff, musically and conceptually. The arrangement swells with a sense of anticipation, its guitar lines and atmospheric textures circling like boosters readying for separation. There’s a deliberate pacing here, a patience that mirrors the track’s narrative focus: the astronaut standing on the cusp of their dream, about to trade Earth for the vast silence of the cosmos. Instead of rushing into heavy distortion or headbanging chaos, Anketell holds back, letting the track’s tension rise slowly, as if the song itself is pausing for breath before takeoff.
One of the most compelling elements of “Space Cadet” is its balance of ambition and intimacy. Anketell writes with an almost cinematic scope—his music often feels like it’s sketching scenes as much as it’s building riffs, but he also grounds it in deeply human emotion. You can hear the awe of childhood wonder running through the melodies, but also the fragility of someone daring to leave everything behind in pursuit of something bigger. This duality—grandiosity paired with vulnerability—gives the track its staying power. It’s a rock song about space and a reflection on what it costs to chase a dream.
Vocally, Anketell leans into this narrative with a delivery that is urgent and contemplative. There’s grit in his voice, yes, but also a sense of restraint, as though he’s aware that the journey is only beginning. His phrasing captures the astronaut’s determination, the resolve of someone who has waited their whole life for this moment, yet it never slips into cliché. Instead, the performance feels rooted in lived experience—Anketell’s own story of perseverance as a self-taught artist seems to seep into the character he’s embodying.
Musically, the track carries hallmarks of WhiteRoomNightmare’s alt-rock/metal DNA—there’s crunch, edge, and muscle, but “Space Cadet” also expands into atmospheric and progressive textures. Guitar tones shimmer with an almost post-rock sheen, percussion locks into a steady, propulsive rhythm that suggests momentum without aggression, and layers of sound create the impression of infinite horizons. It’s a sonic leap outward, as though the band’s earlier claustrophobic intensity has been traded for a breathless look at the stars.
Thematically, placing this track at the beginning of the astronaut’s tale is a smart move. Every great journey begins not with arrival but with longing, anticipation, and a touch of fear. “Space Cadet” captures that liminal state perfectly—it’s the sound of the engines rumbling beneath you, the countdown echoing in your head, the realisation that once you step off this ground, there’s no turning back. The ambition of childhood collides with the weight of reality, and in that clash, WhiteRoomNightmare finds both drama and beauty.
What’s most impressive is how Anketell continues to evolve as a storyteller. His previous releases earned praise for addictive riffs and melodic punch, but Space Cadet demonstrates a wider lens and a deeper sense of narrative intent. This is a piece of a larger puzzle, a story unfolding across an album that promises sonic and thematic cohesion. In a landscape where singles often exist in isolation, WhiteRoomNightmare is crafting something more ambitious: a journey worth taking in full.
With “Space Cadet,” WhiteRoomNightmare proves that alt-rock and metal can still surprise, still dream big, and still carry listeners somewhere far beyond their headphones. It’s a song that transports, reminding us that even in the heaviest genres, there’s space for wonder, reflection, and storytelling that reaches for the stars. If this is the beginning of the astronaut’s tale, then the rest of the voyage looks set to be as daring as it is rewarding.
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