Cobalt, Eater of Birds, (2007-profound lore records)
Had a good listen to this bands two albums, first in this album and the second in near matching in quality "Gin" from 2009 and I have to say I am shocked upon looking at the net near no real coverage of the band at all.
So here we have another entry to the band that should have gigantic but is not. But here we have a problem the band consists of two people. Yup so no real live presence at all and also they seem to really keep themselves to themselves. But in music world and more so music fans that really does not matter. Remember PIL in the 1980s with the Album, Single, 12" stuff they done many fans had no idea who was on the tracks at all.
Much like PIL this is pretty much as far from Top of the Pops as you will go, the band are in the Black Metal area of the shops but I feel it can be listened to by many alt music fans. Yes it is heavy and at times very much making the filling rattle but the feel of the music is so amazing. When the first track 'When Serpents Return' really puts this album where it is happy. Starting out with an all out BM blast of drums vocals and guitars so much so my lunch is moving with the music due to how loud I have it.
But that is why I have it here it is so well done the riffs are here and grab you like the first track bounds into a very repetitive style of riffs much like a punk band would do. Little bits of lead guitar sweep over the two speakers to move the music about. It is not so much a metal feel but a punk maxed out sludge sound.
Second track has that great into blast beat drum start but the band love to speed up and it seems to move into a kind of old school metal feel near like Iron Maiden when they do the galloping feel in their older stuff. Heavier and louder of course.
It is not all out metal and 'Witherer' finds the band in a kind of ambient mood, with the drummer used as a kind of orchestra conductor dictating where it all should go. It really is amazing stuff. And we are not at my personal highlight yet. 'Androids, Automatons and Nihilists' the track mixes acoustic and electric guitars really well with haunting vocals from Jarboe of Swans fame. This really is a stand out track it has to be heard, only Jarboe could make the album come into this area of real scary music the mixture of acoustic and the heavy distorted guitar has been done so many times but she really makes this her own.
Prepare to look over your shoulder.
The band ends pretty much as it started in all out excessive noise but all fitting in the right way to make the listener want more. Many heavy albums can really be hard to listen to more so when they are 40m or so but this is shear pleasure, it really does show what the style of music can provide and as I say where does it fit in? It is metal but it is punk and for me it is art. Much as PIL made Album and have people scratch their heads as to its content... this is the same.
Twitter: 29xthefun
Oh I must say the album has bits of Phil McSorley's 29 minute long acoustic/ambient song "Ritual Use of Fire." This song is available in its entirety on the Landfill Breastmilk Beast EP
