Review : BLACK COBRA – “Chronomega”

Black Cobra – Chronomega
released October 6, 2009 on Southern Lord

This is the album Big Business would have written this year had they remained a duo, decided to compose after heavy mushroom consumption, and reacted violently.

Interesting though the cover may be, it’s not until you delve within that you discover the red-raw, two-tone accompanying artwork, with concise, poetic lyrics in a font curiously similar to Away’s latter Voivod lettering (Phobos – Katorz). Unfortunately the booklet is missing some of these lyrics, but you’ll get the idea.

Every song builds on progressive badass riffery vs. driving drums. 3 & 9 are among the few exceptions, as they are both more carefully unleashed. It was produced by Billy Anderson (Melvins, Sleep, hundreds of other bands) who makes that which is not warm and fuzzy sound warm and fuzzy.

If it were a cereal, it’d be a big ol’ Shredded Wheat biscuit: simple, hearty, kinda overwhelming and samey flavored, but ultimately filling. An excellent adventure from these Bay Area youngbloods, whose third album also marks their Southern Lord debut.

FCC OK
Try 1, 3, 6, 9

01. Negative Reversal
02. Machine
03. Catalyst
04. Chronosphere
05. Zero Point Field
06. Lightning In His Hand
07. Storm Shadow
08. Glacies En Spiritu
09. Nefarian Triangle

Rating: