Back in the ‘80s Heavy Metal went from a marginally successful genre to major players in the mainstream. Thanks in part to the Glam Metal scene which lit up MTV, it was a time where heavy music from bands like Def Leppard or Whitesnake sat right next to more Pop artists like Whitney Houston or Taylor Dayne on Billboard charts comfortably.
Sadly, those days are gone, but thankfully more classic Heavy Metal music is alive and well. Something that never really went away in the European market, many turn back to 2000 when Crashdïet emerged from Sweden as one of the first newer Glam Metal acts in many years. Since that time more and more have openly expressed their love for this brand of Metal music, and in 2020, CobraKill arrived onto the scene. Out of Germany, the band first put out a self-titled EP before their debut full-length in Cobratör. Both independently released, they stirred up plenty of attention with and as a result Frontiers Music s.r.l. signed them on to release their forthcoming album Serpent’s Kiss.
Set for release on January 19, 2024, the new album from CobraKill marks a bold step forward for the band in many regards. For one, it is the first with a proper label in place to reach a larger audience. Second, its sound is more honed in than ever before. Giving you some insight, CobraKill was initially put together by Guitarist Randy White, and currently includes a lineup of Nick Adams on vocals, Tommy Gun on rhythm guitar, Crippler Ramirez on bass, and Toby Ventura on drums. That in mind, their debut EP was quite good with Logan Lexi on vocals, but Adams’ addition changed things up a bit for Cobratör. Now a few years old and more mature, as a unit CobraKill perfectly matches raw Heavy Metal energy with more hooks that will drive listeners wild.
Complete with twelve songs, Serpent’s Kiss is loud, proud, and full of all the high soaring vibes of some of ’80s most memorable Metal bands including Keel and Dokken. Feeling authentic and not like some cheap, modern imitation, there is no exaggeration in saying that you could play Serpent’s Kiss back to back with albums such as Mötley Crüe’s 1983 masterpiece Shout at the Devil, W.A.S.P.’s 1984 self-titled debut, or Lizzy Borden’s 1985 killer album Love You to Pieces. That is how right-on the mark CobraKill is with this album in terms of the feel, production, and the songwriting.
All this considered, there are really no let downs on Serpent’s Kiss if you are a fan of this type of music. Each song is potent, catchy as hell, and full of energy. And if you are looking for samples of what you might find here, it is recommended to turn to songs like “Bazooka,” “Concrete Jungle,” “Torture Me,” and “Hungry Heart” first. From here you will immediately want to dig deeper into the rest of the album without hesitation. Furthermore, if you are looking for a very unique cover… turn your attention to CobraKill’s take on Mike and the Mechanics’ “Silent Running” because it is really well done!
Overall, CobraKill is a band that does not pretend to be something they are not. There is authenticity in every note played here and you can tell. As mentioned, they will appeal to fans of ‘80s Metal, but with that, they also fit nicely alongside other more traditional Metal revival acts like Burning Witches or Cobra Spell. Well worth checking out, Cryptic Rock highly recommends CobraKill and Serpent’s Kiss, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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