Cobra Noir

Proving that their debut was no fluke, Cobra Noir’s sophomore effort, Barricades, is yet another hammer to the face, this time delivered with even more venom and malice. Just over 24 minutes of brooding hardcore that rages with ferocity, it would give a Norwegian black metal goon a case of fudge-laden Fruit Of The Looms. Barricades channels the ravenous aggression of almost-forgotten Canadian hardcore kings Union Of Uranus and the Black Hand, both bands who clearly had metal in their hardcore before the term "metalcore” held about as much weight as "I promise.” Channelling these influences through the confrontational grit and fortitude of Discharge, the result is an endless barrage of bowel-rumbling chords pushed through overdriven amplification, a vocal style reminiscent of a sinner’s froth-laden wailing as Satan plucks out his pubic hairs one by one and drums that border on incomprehensible while still providing the thrust necessary to make this behemoth blow the stainless steel out of your lobes.