Kobra And The Lotus is a name that had passed me by for years. I read the name in music magazines every now and then but they were never a band I gave a fair shot. Until 2017, that is. That’s when I, by accident, stumbled over their video for the leading single of their last album Prevail I, “You Don’t Know”. The song was catchy yet heavy and to be honest, a quite obvious choice for a single for a Metal band and I was really taken by the greatness of the song and lead singer Kobra Paige’s fantastic voice, a voice that is both beautiful and full of aggression and attitude. I decided a review of that album was in order and decided I had to check out if the rest of the album was anything to write home about. It was. At first, Prevail was supposed to be a double album but their record company suggested that it might just be a bit much for people to digest so it was decided to make just one record at the time and save the second CD for a sequel – a sequel that we can gladly hold in our hands as I write this.
The band opens the album with leading single “Losing My Humanity” and it stands pretty clear that it was written for said double album as it comes in more or less the same style and sound as this album’s predecessor. It’s quite a tough yet melodic Metal tune, heavy with a big punch and a memorable melody throughout the song. It’s quite in-your-face but it’s also damn catchy and it’s no surprise that they decided on this as the first single. A real killer! “Let Me Love You” should work as a future single as well. It’s upbeat, more straight-forward, pretty hard and brilliantly catchy. A tune where pure Hard Rock meets Heavy Metal along the way – awesome! “Ribe” is an acoustically trippy tune, not very unlike the way Led Zeppelin did it, which is probably the reason I’m thinking about 70’s Heart as well. It’s stripped and earthy and pretty laid-back in a way I haven’t heard from this band before. Great.
“My Immortal” starts out quite riff-happy in a slower pace, very rhythmic and sound wise dark. It’s very melodic, somewhat dramatic and atmospheric but still Metal. The chorus is very memorable but I wouldn’t say it’s single material. Still a very good tune. “Human Empire” kicks in in a heavy, dark, bombastic, ballsy and punchy way. While the tune sports some big, tough riffing it’s still very melodic and all the melodies really sticks but it’s not the least radio-friendly – a damn good rocker that hits like a ton of bricks. “Heartache” is a more straight-forward Melodic Hard Rock tune, a tune with a great Pop influence without losing its heaviness. It’s quite cheerful which makes it perfect for radio and it wouldn’t surprise me if they get a hit with it – if it’s released as a single that is. It should be. Awesome! “Velvet Roses” is pure, uptempo Hard Rock that comes with a big punch and an edge but also a very melodic, heavy and ballsy and very strong refrain. Another good one, folks!
“Modern Day Hero” is a mid-paced, heavy stomper that brings on a crunch and a strong beat with a catchy refrain and a saturnine atmosphere. It’s somewhat modern Metal sounding much because of the hitty radio-rock refrain but it’s still a good song. “You’re Insane” is fast, heavy, hard, ferocious and in-your-face. That said, it’s still very melodic and the guitar melodies are just gorgeous and affable. The heavy and slow middle-break is slower and heavier and kicks butt with crunch and vigour. “White Water” comes in a slower pace and is a bit trippy with floating passages. It’s on the ballad side with a very strong melody. Its chorus sticks but it’s not at all radio-friendly smooth. The cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” suits the band really well and they have made it their own here. It’s slower in pace, melancholic and dark with ballad tendencies. It’s the latest single and it could very well turn into a hit. A very good closer.
As a bonus track we get an acoustic version of “Let Me Love You” – stripped, atmospheric, emotional and soft yet it’s powerful and it sounds like a different song to the original. Great – that’s how you do it. If you dug Prevail I, I’d be very surprised if you didn’t dig this one as well. It’s pretty much a sister album to the first and it stands pretty clear that these two albums were supposed to be a double album at first. It’s hard to say which album is better as they really belong as one but one thing is pretty damn obvious – Kobra And The Lotus should be bigger than they are now. The musicians obviously knows their business and it can’t be said too often – Kobra Paige is a great singer. If you like your music hard, heavy, aggressive and ballsy but still loves memorable melodies, lots of hooks and catchy choruses then look no further than to their two Prevail albums. Highly recommended!
8/10
More Kobra And The Lotus reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Losing My Humanity
2. Let Me Love You
3. Ribe
4. My Immortal
5. Human Empire
6. Heartache
7. Velvet Roses
8. Modern Day Hero
9. You’re Insane
10. White Water
11. The Chain
12. Let Me Love You (Acoustic Bonus Track)
CD & Festival reviews 