Band:	Kobra And The Lotus
Album:	Kobra And The Lotus
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	August 06, 2012
Guest review by:	KrobMetal

01. 50 Shades Of Evil
02. Welcome To My Funeral
03. Forever One
04. Heaven's Veins
05. My Life
06. Nayana
07. Sanctuary
08. Lover Of The Beloved
09. No Rest For The Wicked
10. Aria Of Karmika

The first time I heard Kobra And The Lotus was also the first time I had ever heard the name and the first time I saw them live. They were supporting Sonata Arctica on a recent North American tour and I remember thinking, "Who the hell are they?" But then they took the stage and from the very first song, I was sold. If you haven't seen them live, do yourself a favor and make it happen. Now on to the record.

This band is pure, straight up heavy metal, by which I mean that they don't necessarily fall into any of the many, many branch-genres that have developed over the years. It's as though the band made a decision from the outset to hold on tight to the roots of the ever-thrashing family tree that is metal and made sure not to stray onto any of the branches. Don't get me wrong, I love me some melodic-technical-death-Viking-metal, but there is something extremely refreshing about the purity that Kobra And The Lotus brings.

Add to that Brittany "Kobra" Paige's powerful, at times soaring vocals and poignant songwriting, and you've got yourself some good shit that never fails to elicit the grimace of rock. (You all know what I'm talking about, even if you've got a different name for it. It is the look that seems to say, "I am smelling something really, really horrible right now, and God dammit, I f*cking love it").

Also noticeable about this record and the band in general, is the absence of synth sounds. No super-orchestrated strings and choir here, and no Children Of Bodom-style keyboard solos; just head-banging riffs, blast-beats, great solos, and incredible vocals.

Shredding ability is strong with this one, but what I appreciate more than that is the melodic sensibility of the solos here. These leads are not simply here to melt your face off, but to add depth and color to already punchy riffs and strong hooks. I am not going to go so far as to say we're talking about the likes of Queen here, but I was reminded of the way Brian May always managed to give his leads a really special significance on a track.

A note about lyrical content: many of the tracks on Kobra And The Lotus are introspective, often dealing with the challenge of being a flawed human being who wants to be better in some way. There are also a couple of songs that look at certain "social ills", such as greed and infidelity, but all in all, I find the lyrics to be relevant and relatable.

Kobra And The Lotus offer a powerful, skilled, refreshing sound. It obviously draws influence from the likes of Iced Earth and their ilk, but their sound is very distinctive. The band is already working on another record, and I can't wait to hear it.