I am going into the relative unknown with the Belgian group, Cobra the Impaler. I am familiar with Tace De (Thijs de Cloedt) from his work on guitar with Aborted from 2000-2006, but I have only heard The Messenger from this band, which is the lead single from the forthcoming album, Karma Collision. Tace is joined on guitar by James Falck (Bear), Michele De Feudis on bass, vocalist Manuel Remmerie, and picking up the sticks from Megadeth man Dirk Vereuren (who played on the 2022 debut, Colossal Gods) is Ace Zec (mixer and producer, and former drummer with Death before Disco). The album opener, Magnetic Hex, sets the tone of this progressive metal release. The initial discordant intro develops melodically, and clean vocals have some good layering on them. The tempo increases in the middle of the track, but does so well, and as the song returns to its original form, there is a lovely solo. This is the theme throughout the album.
Godless Beyonder, the second track, builds on the first, with more hooky riffs and vocals. The vocal towards the end of the track is great, with two different melodies sung over each other.
Season of the Savage introduces some timing changes that really work. A great rousing chorus has a subtle slow double kick, which punctuates it. This goes to double time on the second round and lifts the track further.
The fourth track, Eye of the Storm, is a prelude to the next, and really slows things down with a melodic acoustic number before opening up the throttle on the title track Karma Collision, which comes straight out of the traps, with discordant melody and timing changes, and a great vocal hook. Harmonies galore on this one, and some nice plucked sustained guitar. Six and a half minutes fly by.
My Inferno begins in their usual inharmonious style, almost grunge-like Nirvana from Bleach, and carries on until the chorus takes the song in a more melodious direction. The metalcore vocals are rife in this track at times, as is the genre's guitar style. Seventh track, The Fountain, begins with a false intro, with so good fills, before the timing and tempo changes. The chorus makes this song. A slower, plucked distorted guitar with clean singing over the top. It is almost like a ballad at this point, and a good radio track, but don't tar it with the same brush as the overplayed radio friendly Nothing Else Matters. It then goes down a musical journey after the second chorus, where is gets heavy. Think System of a Down Sugar heaviness and goes back into an instrumental of the chorus to mix it back up, with some 'la-las' in the background. The last chorus' refrain slightly changes but it is effective adding more to the song, which ends with a solo, and the aforementioned vocal layers over simple keys. Yes, I might really like this track. The single, The Message, explodes out of the starting blocks, with great flowing vocals (layering of highs and lows is exquisite) and a wall of guitars. Good use of lead guitar over the vocal in the chorus. The interlude with the tom fills is great. The wall of guitars gets bigger towards the end middle eight of the track and will make you bang your head with that kick drum beating away.
Penultimate track, Assassins of the Vision, starts like an SOAD track, which is not a bad thing as I love SOAD. Here, the bass does come to the forefront, and the contrast in vocal style in sections and across sections is used to its fullest. Some great chugging and tremolo picking here, and even the 'woe hoes' and fade do not detract from this.
The closer, Shifting Sands, is an accumulation of what has gone before, and a fitting crescendo.
In summary, I like the mix, and the toms really stand out, though the metal work could be more prevalent at times. The bass is there but doesn't ring out as much as I'd like it to. Guitars are clear, and big at times, and the harmonies on the vocals are so good. It is a sonic onslaught at times, with hints of Mastodon and System of a Down, but made in their own style.
Karma Collision is released on 31st May on Listenable Records
Review by Rich 'Tricky' Hudson
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