ALBUM REVIEW: Black King Cobra and their Law of Attraction

With what seems like an unending raft of fresh, young talent across the UK you have to wonder what these bands will have to do to break through. With a completely different music industry these days it becomes harder and harder to get recognised and although there are punters out there screaming for bands to sound like their old heroes I do not think that is the way forward.

I reckon Black King Cobra have the element that will push them all the way, with one word you can describe their feel, their attitude and the incredible music they play…individuality. I hear a lot of music, I attend a lot of gigs and I want a band to grab me and throw something at me that nobody else does.

Black King Cobra debut EP is a scorcher, every track is top class and “Law of Attraction” is exactly the same. I am lucky enough to have heard these tracks live so I cannot class them as new music but with just that one EP it is a pleasure to not to have to hit replay so often. When you have such an impressive live band it can be difficult to catch that energy on record but with such amazing talent it has been pulled off with ease. Even with half the band members changing recently they have seamlessly moved forward. Changing the whole rhythm section in any band is a tough one but when a band like Black King Cobra is so heavily influenced by the beat of the drum and
the thump on bass it could have been a disaster but when this band deals with mechanical problems with pretty much every gig they just get down to business and created an amazing second release.

Opening track “Harvest Moon” goes for your throat and eardrums from the off. The beautiful, yet distorted guitars of Ross Clark try to burrow right into your brain. Then we get that rhythm picking up the tempo before it slows down and you get your first taste of one of the best singers in Glasgow.

His vocals slowly build to the chorus which takes the tempo up to 11 and will have you screaming “Can’t you see it” as loud as if you were at their live show( a bit embarrassing as I am in public…and nobody deserves the pain of hearing me sing). Like everything Black King Cobra do the song weaves, meanders and slithers like their name portrays. The bass is amazing, the guitars hectic and all over the place(a bit like the instruments player on stage). This song is already a live favourite and when you hear it broken down here you know why.

Up next is another live song that rips your head off. “Shiver” is another slow burner. Callum’s voice starts with an almost sleepy feel before he lets the power loose. When he lets rip with the lyrics “Shiver that is under your skin” it takes me back to the very first time I witnessed this band live. I was hooked from the very first song and they have been under my skin since then and when I listen to Callum in full swing or watching the band jam I get shivers. This song is a masterpiece, a beautifully arranged number that will have you laid back and then headbanging till your neck hurts. There is nothing simple about a Black King Cobra song and this is a perfect example of that individuality I spoke of earlier. No one is doing songs like this, a song with groove in its veins, blues under its skin and a heart full of soul.

“Ball and Chain” is up next and the guitars and new boy Rob Kennedy on bass are incredible. To watch a band in a live environment you can miss so much but with the song playing through my speakers at full volume I take in every complexity, every slide down that guitar, every slapped fretboard and every drum stroke. This is another song that just reiterates how good Black King Cobra are. Like a flash we are onto the last song and “Quake”. Callum goes for an indie/punk feel for the intro before letting the power out once again. This is a much newer track and has only had one live outing to my knowledge and it is a fierce monster. It is a true rocker from the off with a brilliant guitar/bass breakdown. It has a backbone of grunge with some James brown vocals. This band can mix and match any influence and a few people may be surprised with this song…I gave up being surprised with this band long ago.

Usually I can review, give pointers or let a band know what didn’t work for me but if this band came up to me looking for any of this I would shake my head and walk away. My instrument may be my ears but I cannot work on the same level as these guys, they walk their own path and that is how it should stay. They need to explore, they need to do what others are not. They need to keep down this path that they started on and most of all, believe in themselves. They cannot be pushed in any direction as this music is on another level. They need please no one other than themselves as “Law of Attraction” is outstanding.

Second releases are often the toughest one as you have so much to step up to, the worry it will not be as liked as much as the original, that people will think it is too similar/too different. Pressure can end a bands career with one badly done release but this EP is the stepping stone this band needs to break out.

Black King Cobra are the real deal, talent to die for, songs to kill for and a live show that is not to be missed. If this band do not make it I am packing this reviewing nonsense in as there would be no justice in the world but I know without doubt I need not worry. “Law of Attraction” will have old fans delirious and it will have new fans flocking to them. This EP is not to be missed so make sure you get your copy when it is released and if you are local to Glasgow ensure you make it to the EP
release show in the famous King Tuts Wah Wah hut on 3rd August as it is set to be one of the shows of the year.

Review Ritchie Birnie

Originally Published on Metal Planet Music