Review: Cobra the Impaler – Colossal Gods

Style: Stoner Metal, Prog Metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Sabrina
Country: Belgium
Release date: 25 February 2022

Cobra the Impaler is a makeshift prog supergroup of members from Aborted, Megadeth, Soilwork, Von Detta, Bear, and Almighty Mighty who come together to reinvent the sound of old Mastodon. By golly, if they had accomplished anything here, it would be of that first and foremost which is a pleasant surprise to be had in 2022. As much as I readily give credit to Hushed and Grim for implementing a variety of unexpected twists that we have not expected from Mastodon, I just cannot fully extinguish an unconscious spitefulness within me that still longs for the band of their formative years. If you empathize with this sentiment at all, this might just be the perfect album for you.

I have seen this album understandably mislabeled as “thrash”, “metalcore”, and even the everyday “heavy metal”. Though these influences are present here and there, Colossal Gods is best defined as primarily progressive stoner metal. This album is deep enough to provide a fun, tongue-in-cheek listening experience for those who love playing “I Spy” with a band’s sonic influences; which include sections reminiscent of every Mastodon album from Leviathan to The Hunter, also stuff that could belong in a Baroness, Gojira, or Intronaut album.

At this point, people who don’t like comparison-heavy reviews are probably foaming at the mouth right now, but I promise you, this is a case where the comparisons are warranted because they stick out in the music like a prehistoric elephant in the room, or a whale in the sky. I can thankfully say though that the influences are never implemented egregiously. I don’t mind at all when a band uses the general atmospheres and/or sonic aesthetics of other bands; to be honest, that’s to be expected in art. However, I draw a hard line at explicit examples of a band reusing compositions from bigger bands that they did not write, playing it off as their own (for examples, see my Moon Machine or Soul Secret reviews).

Cobra the Impaler is here with all original content as far as the songwriting goes and they craft a ton of creativity, melodic finesse, and vivacious energy into Colossal Gods. There are essentially no bad songs in this album, but I noticed most people generally leave with the same favorites; “Spirit or Lyssa”, “Blood Eye”, and the title track are likewise highlights for me. All of them contrast melodic, dual-vocal hooks with distorted, half-sludge-half-thrash guitar riffs, progressive instrumental interludes, and occasional extreme metal elements with harsh vocals, blast-beats, and double-bass drums. They do quite well at balancing dynamics one would want in a prog stoner/sludge record which makes for satisfying listening. 

Furthermore, the high level of experience of the band members results in all-around technical and well-executed performances. Manuel Remmerie’s lead vocals are varied, nicely textured, and adequately bloodcurdling when they need to be. During choruses, Michélé De Feudis (bassist) does a great job on backing vocals, harmonizing his voice with Remmerie’s to precisely replicate that Mastodon formula. Speaking of which, the lead guitar solos are often very reminiscent of Brent Hinds’ style infused with a heavy psychedelic flair.

However, the production sound, tuning, and compositional style of the rhythm guitars often lean on influences of European technical thrash metal instead of sludge metal; so those expecting thick fuzzy riffs might be a bit disappointed. One cannot leave this album without noticing its fast, punchy drumming, performed by Dirk Verbeuren. He excels at conveying different emotions in music’s tempo changes, shifting the underlying ambiance from soothing and tranquil, at one moment, to spiraling apprehension in another. Verbeuren’s superb musicianship is further evident from viewing his extensive resume, performing for dozens of bands and side projects including Devin Townsend Project‘s Deconstruction.

Complementing Verbeuren’s drumming is its placement in the mix which pushes back against the loudness-wars-effect that haunts a lot of modern metal. They make sure the drums are mixed louder than the vocals and guitars so they get that extra ‘umph’ in and are not lost in the background. Inversely, the bass could have been written more effectively as it is barely noticed in the composition, but the band chose to prioritize their lead riffs and vocal melodies instead. Nonetheless, when it comes to the production sound of this album, it is mastered exceptionally.

Colossal Gods may be overusing popular progressive stoner/sludge tropes but perhaps these tropes are worthy of some high-quality indulgence as it has been some time since they have been used in the limelight. Furthermore, Cobra the Impaler add enough of their own personality and outside influences from other metal backgrounds to make this sound more diverse than your typical Mastodon worship band. Their songwriting is mature and memorable, and their instrumental performances resemble that of a financially successful band. For those into catchy progressive stoner/sludge metal or fans of the bands mentioned above, this is an album you should become acquainted with. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what else this band churns out.

Recommended tracks: Spirit of Lyssa, Colossal Gods, Blood Eye
Recommended for fans of: Mastodon, Intronaut, Gojira, Baroness, Stam1na
You may also like: Vokonis, The Erkonauts, Calyces, Boss Keloid, Mothman and the Thunderbirds
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Listenable Records – Bandcamp | Official Website | Facebook

Cobra the Impaler is:
– Manuel Remmerie (vocals)
– James Falck (guitars)
– Tace DC (guitars)
– Michélé De Feudis (bass, vocals)
– Dirk Verbeuren (drums)