Description

Rare first press with band name misspelled on spine to Coblat

Sometimes when bands release new albums, they start in a new and mystical direction that’s completed devoid of where they were at before…… with Cobalt however, they’re picking up exactly where they left off before with their previous release, Eater of Birds. What you’re seeing here is the duo of Erik Wunder and Phil McSorley continuing to further embark upon the war metal sound they’ve been developing since their inception (and that’s not just a cute name for it; their guitarist/singer actively serves in the U.S. Armed Forces, currently deployed in Iraq) and recorded his portions of the album when he was on leave… that’s hella impressive). Cobalt merge moody, mid-paced riffery with death metal screams, as evidenced throughout their 2009 offering, Gin. A simply punishing and sonically dense release from front to back, Gin is one fierce beast — which manages to do so without bowing down to your run-of-the-mill extreme metal tricks. As the Cobalt chaps prove throughout — especially on such ditties as “Arsonry” and “Stomach” — you don’t have to have the speedometer cranked all the way to the top to get your point across if you’re an extreme metal act. The music is very expressive. They have the tendency to blend and balance soft, expressive acoustic guitars along with blistering riffs and some extremely intense drumming (drummers: there were plenty of blastbeats and double bass, but not to the point where it ever overtook the song.) When I heard this album, it made me think of Tool’s “Lateralus” and Immortal’s “At The Heart of Winter” (there’s also an element of Neurosis influence on here but that should be expected considering how great their influence has been to the genre of post-metal.) When I say that, I mean that these guys do a pretty good job at mixing sludge metal, black metal, and progressive metal together for a sound that sets them apart from other metal bands out there, and it rules! Also included are two tracks on which former Swans singer Jarboe drops by — “A Clean, Well Lighted Place” and “Pregnant Insect.” With most extreme metal bands adhering to the same game plan nowadays, it’s good to hear a group attempting to put its own stamp on the genre, and as evidenced by Gin, Cobalt are one of the few bands brave enough to do so. If you’re a fan of Immortal, Neurosis, black metal, progressive metal, or an open-minded fan of Tool (meaning the kind of Tool fan that enjoys either The Melvins, Meshuggah, Tomahawk, Isis, or any combination of the above), this album is worth getting.

Track listing:
1. Gin
2. Dry Body
3. Arsonry
4. Throat
5. Stomach
6. A Clean Well-Lighted Place
7. Pregnant Insect
8. The Old Man Who Lied for His Entire Life
9. A Starved Horror