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Originally planned as a mammoth double album, Kobra And The Lotus took the bold decision to go with two separate albums, spread out over the year. Think of it as more of a Stone Sour or Five Finger Death Punch approach, rather than a ‘Use Your Illusion’ moment. During a chat before their gig with Delain last year, Kobra herself told me “It’s quite ambitious, but it was in my head, and as soon as it was, it had to be done”. Ambitious, bold and challenging? Most certainly. Worth it? If ‘Prevail II’ is half as good as it’s younger sibling, then the decision will have been a wise one. Some of the songs will be familiar with those that caught Kobra And The Lotus on the aforementioned Delain tour late last year, ‘TriggerPulse’ and ‘Gotham’ both being road tested early on. ‘Gotham’ is a massive way to open the album. A very dark, cinematic opening, with haunting vocals from Kobra, before the relentless bass drums kick in. Kobra always had the Halford/ Dio power vocals down to a T, but on ‘Prevail I’ she expands her vocal range, and delivers a masterclass performance. ‘Gotham’ has everything that an opener needs, tasty riffs, crushing rhythms and pounding grooves. The changes in tempo throughout mean that the listener doesn’t know what to expect next. This is a theme throughout the album. Take current single, ‘You Don’t Know’, as an example. Military style drumming on the intro, ascending guitar chords, then a pause for breath before hell breaks loose. When Kobra comes in, it’s not with a huge power vocal, but instead a quiet, subdued, almost spoken performance. Totally unexpected and highly effective. Lyrically, it’s a raw story of being misunderstood, and how others are quick to judge without stopping to think about what the other person might be dealing with. Kobra puts in an emotional performance on a track with many twists and turns, even including a neat homage to the theme from Mission: Impossible! ‘TriggerPulse’ is the sound of a band evolving, taking the core sound from previous albums and mixing it up. The production is clear and precise, nothing is lost in the mix, and the chants of ‘RISE!’ during the middle section will have fists in the air at every Kobra And The Lotus gig from now on. ‘Specimen X (The Mortal Chamber)’ features another hefty shift from drummer Marcus Lee, which is at the forefront of the pacing on the song. He’s calling the shots on this one! ‘Light Me Up’ takes the foot off the gas for a moment, but the quality doesn’t suffer for it. The layered backing vocals are entrancing, and the riffs add to the atmosphere. A very powerful track. Kobra takes a well earned rest on ‘Check The Phyrg’. Guitarist Jasio Kulakowski, bassist Brad Kennedy and Mr Lee, all flex their muscles on an instrumental that will keep musos happy, without turning off those of us that don’t possess a musical bone in our bodies. She returns with more incredible vocals on ‘Hell On Earth’ and the title track, which ends the album. ‘Prevail’ raises a middle finger to naysayers and those that would attempt to put you down in whatever you do. If you’ve ever had someone hoping you fail, then this is the song for you… “This is for all the non-believers. The ones who said we’d never make it out. This is for all the adversaries in our heads. That filled our minds with failure and self-doubt” The word prevail has many different meanings listed; “conquer” and “overcome” being just two. They would also seem to be the most apt. ‘Prevail I’ is the sound of a band evolving, taking risks, and not taking the easier path. Kobra And The Lotus should be applauded for thinking outside the box. All of that wouldn’t have mattered though had ‘Prevail I’ been anything but staggering. Soak it up for a few months before ‘Prevail II’ appears, and hopefully somewhere down the line, we might get ‘Prevail – The Directors Cut’ with both parts combined… preferably on vinyl. Well, we can but dream! Available May 12th on Napalm Records Review: Dave Stott]]>
