Black Cobra - Feather And Stone

Is there a label yet for the type of metal that Mastodon, High On Fire, and the like have perfected. Maybe there is and I'm just out of the loop. I've seen sludge metal tossed around, but I would think that would apply more to the Neurosis, Isis, and Pelican style. Anyway, Black Cobra have released a short but sweet record of their own take on this style, perhaps mixing the sounds of face-pounding band such as High On Fire with the slower intricacies of Isis. The result is a face-pounding that takes a breather to highlight some beautiful patterns of blood pooling at your feet.

The guitar work on this album remind me of somewhere between The Sword on the heavier sections and Isis on the softer clean sections. The vocals sound like the singer is trying to scream loud enough to be heard through the wall of sound, as they seem to come from the background.

The only downfall of this album is its length, maybe this is supposed to be just a short EP, but I would have liked to hear some of the songs fleshed out more, or just more of them. There are many intricacies on the album that aren't allowed to explore to their full potential. Although maybe the band doesn't want the music to wander too much such as Isis or Pelican.

8/10 Black Cobra has a very promising future.