
There’s a storm coming!
-- Cobra The Impaler --
21/10/2020
Stijn Daneels

Album genres:
■ | Sludge metal |
Album artists:
■ | Thijs De Cloedt | Guitar |
■ | Manuel Remmerie | Vocals |
■ | Mathieu Vander Vennet | Guitar |
■ | Gert Stals | Drums |
■ | Dirk Verbeuren | Drums (on "Tempest Rising") |
■ | Michélé De Feudis | Bass & vocals |
Review written by Stijn "Metal Shredder" Daneels.
[METAL SHREDDER REPORTING]
I was first
introduced to Cobra The Impaler from guitarist Mathieu Vander Vennet, who’ve
known for five years now as part of the Ghent based death metal act Carrion.
Earlier this year he showed me a teaser of Cobra The Impaler’s sound and now,
he gave me the opportunity to check out the first single from his freshly
formed band. And given the fact that I’m a big lover of his work with Carrion
(as well as the stuff his bandmates have done with their respective bands) I
can’t resist the temptation to shred this one right away!
[SHREDDING BASICS]
“Tempest
Rising” is the debut single from the Belgian metal band Cobra The Impaler,
featuring members who’ve played in bands like Aborted, Hæster, Majestic Sun,
Soul Grip and of course the aforementioned Carrion. “Tempest Rising” is the
first single from the band’s upcoming album “Colossal Gods” which will be
release in Spring 2021.
The first
thing I’ve noticed when I was listening to “Tempest Rising” were the huge
Mastodon vibes, in particular thanks to the contrast between the thunderous guitars
and the seemingly relaxed vocals. Unlike Mastodon, however, the emphasis on
Cobra The Impaler is much more on technical guitar solos and blast beat
drumming which gives their sound a lot of personal finesse and personality.
There are no less than 3 guitar solos on “Tempest Rising” and their function as
interludes between the song’s verses.
Overall, “Tempest
Rising” offers an excellent preview for Cobra The Impaler and their upcoming
album. The single has catchy, powerful riffs, crisp bass, hypnotic singing, marching
drum beats and an atmosphere that simply draws you in. If the other songs on
Cobra The Impaler’s upcoming “Colossal Gods” album will be just like this one,
I think I’ll be up for a great shredding time!

[SHREDDING VISION]
The artwork
of “Tempest Rising” features a three-headed skeleton torso holding the
(in)famous Illuminati symbol while the skeleton is surrounded by a “crown” of
thorns and dead plants. The three-headed head also wears a crown of thorns itself
with two hands seemingly controlling the skeleton while it screams in agony. It’s
a colorful yet bizarre cover that, once again, reminds me of Mastodon.
The song’s
theme is about living your life to the fullest without any regrets. An honest
and inspiring message in these dark times and for which I’ve got nothing more
to say.
[SHREDDER’S SCORECARD]
9 cobras
(obviously) out of 10. With a spectacular debut single spiced with blasting drums,
epic guitars, hypnotizing vocals and a ton of sludge, Cobra The Impaler has
made a quick but excellent first impression. I’m already looking forward to
shred my way through the debut album, but in the meantime, you can check our
country’s biggest drumming export product Dirk Verbeuren do a drum playthrough
of “Tempest Rising!” Enjoy!