(c) Erica Torelli
Predictability has never been the thing of Sweet Cobra. Although the US trio was originally at home in metal and hardcore, they always thought outside the box, as they impressively proved on “Earth” in 2015. Since then, more than seven years have passed, the world has moved on and the band’s music has also developed. Little was left of Stoner, Sludge and Alternative, instead the rocky post prefix is now diligently involved. with „Threes“ a new, similarly exciting era begins.
The wonderfully ponderous and yet leisurely “Cave” perfectly sums up the new idiosyncrasy. For five minutes, Sweet Cobra float on an unspecified cloud that lives on mystical atmosphere, uncomfortable art undertones, but also on a crisp desert riff. Last remnants of earlier stoner sludge days shimmer through, but now end up in a much more progressive-artful environment. “Coats”, the stubborn opener, also allows certain cross-references to earlier days, but at the same time tries to dissect any straightness with noise undertones. The result is an uncomfortable and at the same time exciting ride.
A flawless stoner riff does seem to float to the surface on “Soft 11”, but Sweet Cobra washes and smears corresponding traces with growing enthusiasm. A touch of post punk is not the last to be heard; nervous energy also spreads through “Escaped Goat”, perhaps most prominently on this record. Especially the jittery bass, the repeated breaking up of the arrangement and the singing guitar fit perfectly. The fact that the following – and concluding – “Fable” reduces the instrumentation to a minimum and meditates in a springing, light manner somehow fits into the picture.
This album comeback is unusual and really good. The fact that Sweet Cobra have always had a great urge to experiment was made clear by their sound in the past. The break on “Threes” comes somewhat unexpectedly in this clarity and so it takes a while until you find your way around in this new environment. But that doesn’t matter, because the artful, experimental and yet catchy result speaks for itself – a hidden pearl that certainly deserves more attention.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 11/11/2022
Available through: Pax Aeternum / Hawthorne Street Records
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetcobra
Category: Magazin, Reviews
