BRUTAL TWO MAN BAND. Buy this Album
Nicholas Eubank | Vail, CO | 02/12/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"
Wow. Black Cobra keeps getting tighter and tighter. For two guys these guys produce hellish sounds.
Some subtle development in Landrian's vocals is apparent throughout. Not so much in the beginning - opener "Negative Reversal" keeps it pretty straightforward - but the echo on the title track gives his voice an early-`90s Ministry vibe and there's some melody creeping into "Catalyst" that shows some definite growth. It's in there if you listen for it.
Still, and although closer "Nefarian Triangle" is indeed a worthy addition, I can't help but feel like Black Cobra could have said everything they needed to say with Chronomega in half an hour. The album is just over 38 minutes, and it wouldn't seem to make much of a difference, but for a band for whom tightness of execution is so central, I'd almost rather be left wanting more than have too much. Not to harp on Slayer comparisons, because despite similarities in approach the two have very little in common sonically other than playing fast, but Reign in Blood was 28:25, and while I wouldn't want the task of having to cut one of the songs from Chronomega (okay, you can take "Lightning in His Hand"), Black Cobra are almost doing themselves a disservice by having too much on the album. The tracks blend together rather than highlight their differences.
Nonetheless, Black Cobra once again show why they deserve to be at the forefront of this generation of metallers, and given the amount of road time they put in, there's nothing saying they can't get there. Their live show is unstoppable, and as with Bestial and Feather and Stone, all the ingredients are present on Chronomega, it's just the songwriting that needs to be more memorable. For now, they're still kicking ass, even if their methodology for doing so is starting to show some wear and tear."
