NIGHT COBRA
“Dawn Of The Serpent”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Night Cobra are a heavy metal band from the USA, featuring former members of Venomous Maximus – namely Christian Larson (vocals), and Trevi Biles (bass). The band, completed by Brandon Barger (guitar), Bill Fool (guitar), and Cheech (drums), released their debut E.P. ‘In Praise Of The Shadow’ in 2020. Influenced by bands such as Angel Witch, Mercyful Fate, and Iron Maiden, the bands sound is fast and furious, melodic and infectious, and could easily be mistaken for European metal rather than their actual country of origin America. ‘Dawn Of The Serpent’ is the bands debut album, and was released in 2022.

Featuring nine songs over just thirty minutes, ‘Dawn Of The Serpent’ may be a little on the short side, but what it’s not short of, is blistering heavy metal! Each and every one of the songs on offer are fast paced, “foot on the monitor” romps that’ll have head bangers of all ages, from every country, head banging furiously. Album opener ‘Run The Blade’ (inspired by the classic 1982 film Blade Runner), opens with a short anticipation filled passage, breaking into a full on, all out, hells breaking loose fast paced furore of foot on the monitor heavy metal. ‘Run The Blade’ is very heavy, full of thunder, and will get heads nodding – fast!

And heads will be nodding even faster, as the album picks up pace courtesy of the scorching ‘The Serpent’s Kiss’ – pure unabashed heavy metal emanating from the speakers as Night Cobra put the pedal firmly to the metal, ‘The Serpent’s Kiss’ an unbelievable and infectious old school slice of metal. Old school – now there’s something us oldies favour. As a teenager growing up during the eighties burgeoning heyday for heavy metal evolution, the eighties style of metal will always be a pleasure to listen to… And what a pleasure ‘Dawn Of The Serpent’ is! ‘Lost In Time’ accelerates to become a fast and furious head bang-able bruiser. The pace, power, and sheer “this is how heavy metal should sound” exclamations from metal heads the world over, Night Cobra are delivering a bombastic blast of infectious and addictive metal. ‘Black Venom Dreams’ just builds on the albums intensity – an intensity that’s been present from the off. ‘Dawn Of The Serpent’ is heavy, very heavy, and is constantly tickling the senses like foreplay, in pursuit of that most pleasurable experience – an eargasm! OMG – the pace just got even quicker! ‘The Neuromancer’s Curse’ taking off like a rocket roaring towards space. The blistering pace coupled with the wrecking ball heaviness all tied together with shreds of melodious intent, this album is just getting better and better.

With absolutely no let up in pace or intensity, Night Cobra power on with the pulsating ‘For Those Who Walk The Night’, adding a slight touch of the majestic to the already catchy and infectious rhythm. As debut albums go, this is a corker – full of head bang ability and foot on the monitor bravado. What a way to announce yourselves to a worldwide audience – an audience of drooling metal heads. And wahey, lightning pace takes over the album in the mighty shape of ‘In Mortal Danger’ – displaying an early Angel Witch influence. I know that the NWOBHM legends are one of many bands to inspire Night Cobra, but ‘In Mortal Danger’ just has that Angel Witch tone about it. The two minute instrumental ‘Acid Rain’ is spooky, chilling, and scary – sending some listeners diving for cover! It’s so chilling, that it could be used in a horror film sound track! And in what seems like no time at all, we come to the final song – ‘Electric Rite’ the most mid tempo and mid paced offering on the album. It may be slower than everything that has gone before, but boy it don’t lack any of the energy, intensity, and heaviness heard everywhere else. What a debut album.

Overall, a thunderous and very infectious slab of old school heavy metal, ‘Dawn Of The Serpent’ is a cracking album.

TRACKLIST

Run The Blade
The Serpent’s Kiss
Lost In Time
Black Venom Dreams
The Neuromancer’s Curse
For Those Who Walk The Night
In Mortal Danger
Acid Rain
Electric Rite

https://nightcobra.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NightCobra/

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