Black Cobra

It’s amazing that the bi-coastal duo Black Cobra can get together at all — former Cavity guitarist Jason Landrian lives in New York, and Rafael Martinez, former -16- bassist and Gammera guitarist (who switches to drums here) resides in Los Angeles. Fortunately, both have families in Miami, where they met and pounded out a three-song EP in the vein of their post-sludge-metal pedigrees. The unremitting riffage of "Interceptor” is, naturally, a seamless meld of Cavity and -16- with a doomier, Sleep-like midsection and Landrian’s strained, top-of-his-lungs bellowing. He employs ample guitar reverb to create pauses brimming with amplified power, and Martinez’s kick drums resemble prize-fighter punches meant to stun and damage. The one-minute "Fall and Fall Again” is faster like Helmet, and "Silverblack” is Floor-like and buoyant upon Landrian’s rippling riffs and vicious vocals. Its brevity notwithstanding, Black Cobra is six minutes well worth experiencing for fans of Dove and Operator:Generator.