Why do I say that? Well, the title track really shows who Kobra and the Lotus really are right now. A heavy hard rock/metal band that holds nothing back. Strong and heavy bouldering guitar riffs and awesome, fierce and pristine vocals by front woman Kobra. The thing that stands out is that the album is mostly driven by the vocals, but what do you expect from such a strong, powerful and outspoken singer? When listening to the album hearing every song, I can only conclude that the band knows what they are doing and that they are completely within their own element. To me, on their previous album they were still searching a bit, but not on Evolution! Straightforward guitar riffs and drums, while singer Kobra fiercely takes the lead by using all available qualities she and her beautiful voice have to offer.

Overall the album feels very positive, but it is also a bit socially critical at times. It is about not letting negative emotions in your life not dictate how you feel or act, by focusing on the positive things in life and what you can gain from that. The singles Burn and Get the Fuck out of Here perfectly get this message across. The song Thundersmith is in my opinion a true battle cry and one of my favorite songs on the whole album. But my absolute favorite is The Circus. This song truly indicates what has been the general tone of my review, Kobra and the Lotus are really happy with where they are right now musically and that shows! They are here and they are here to stay and literally nobody can stop them. And let’s face it, who in their right mind would want that?

The variation on this album mainly comes from the diversity of Kobra’s voice and with the aforementioned path the band is on I sometimes get the feeling that a lot of songs on this album sound a little bit like more of the same, but with a singer like Kobra in front of your band it doesn’t matter that much, because she seems to know infinite ways to keep everything from getting stale and boring and let’s not forget that we are treated by some awesome guitar solos along the way as well!

There is one song that I would really like to talk about and that is the beautiful ballad Wash Away. This song is a very welcome detour from the powerful battle cry-like sound the rest of the album has and also really shows how vulnerable this amazing band can be.

For me Evolution feels like a liberation of Kobra and the Lotus, a sort of statement saying “We are Kobra and the Lotus, this is what we do and we are not going anywhere!”

You can read our earlier reviews of Kobra and the Lotus’ Prevail I here and Prevail II here. You can also read our interview with Kobra here, as well as our 14th part of Promoting Bands in which we mentioned Kobra and the Lotus here.

Kobra And The Lotus Official Website
Kobra And The Lotus Facebook
Kobra And The Lotus Instagram
Kobra And The Lotus Twitter

The post Review: Kobra and the Lotus – Evolution appeared first on DutchMetalManiac.

The beautiful Let Me Love You dials down on aggressiveness and fierceness without taking away the familiar Kobra the Lotus sound. It sounds more like a heavy rock song then it is a metal song per se. This is perhaps the power of Kobra and the Lotus and in particular with these last two records, there are quite a few variations between different styles of music, but switching between those styles sometimes happens without me actually being fully aware of it. I mean, I obviously did notice it, but all the songs blend perfectly together and it actually adds a lot of flavor to the record rather than diminishing it. The next song called Ribe is an acoustic intermezzo which connects the songs Let Me Love You with the next track, My Immortal. Ribe takes you out of all the guitar and drum violence for a few minutes, which I will address later on, and calms you to give you time to charge up for the beautiful My Immortal. This song in some ways builds on the foundation of Let Me Love You. Only this time there is more variation and the song builds up constantly eventually leading up to the beautiful high notes of Miss Kobra Paige herself. These well-controlled and clear high-pitched vocals show how versatile and talented Kobra really is.

Human Empire shows itself as being a true metal track to the bone. The guitar and drums are absolutely phenomenal here and the fierceness of the vocals again shows its face! After this violence follow two straightforward rock songs that don’t really jump out but are necessary and beautiful nonetheless even if it were only due to the fact that they again show how versatile Kobra and the Lotus as a band really is. I love how they show time and time again that they make the music that they want to make rather than thinking about whether it’s metal enough for some people.

Modern Day Hero is the next track. This song is really positive, it makes me feel good and I immediately want to fight for righteousness! Something that really fits Kobra and the Lotus and the reason they make music. You can read about this further in this interview which we did last year with Kobra herself! In You’re Insane the band goes really all-out! This is metal like it’s supposed to be, straight to the point and heavy! At least that is my opinion! The fierce and powerful vocals of Kobra are back once again and she really gives her all! As a listener I was completely blown away by her power! With White Water, the ballad on the record, the band again shows their vulnerable side. The song is really beautiful and is without a doubt, like ballads have been so many times, my favorite song on the album. The classic 80s guitar solo at the end really makes the difference! That’s how a powerful rock ballad, with little bit of metal must be! Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain has been covered with grace. The band really gives color to the original song and makes the song dynamic! This coming from a guy that doesn’t even like covers! Great job Kobra and the Lotus!!!

The acoustic version of Let Me Love You is the bonus track. To me this is the cherry on the cake. Where the original track is only vulnerable in the chorus, this acoustic rendition is vulnerable the whole way through and translates the feeling of love and positivity even more than its electric counterpart!

I can only say that Prevail II is a great continuation of the path that Kobra and the Lotus is on right now! I really hope that the band continues to do this with all their positivity and love!

Thanks Kobra and the Lotus!

We also mentioned Kobra and the Lotus in part 14 of Promoting Bands, which you can read here.

Kobra And The Lotus Official Website
Kobra And The Lotus Facebook
Kobra And The Lotus Twitter

The post Review: Kobra and the Lotus – Prevail II appeared first on DutchMetalManiac.

It’s been a while since the last part of Promoting Bands, so here is a new one.

If you enjoyed the earlier parts and want to check them again, or you missed them, here they are:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13

And remember: don’t hesitate to send us an email, Facebook or Twitter message if you want to be featured in the next part of Promoting Bands!

\m/

Tim van Velthuysen

1. Haggard

I start this part of Promoting Bands with a band I already listen to for a while, Haggard. Tales Of Ithiria is the latest album so far from them. It was released in 2008, so it’s a bit of an older release. However, Haggard deserves to be mentioned. This band around Asis Nasseri, Haggard’s mastermind, mixes classical music, medieval music and death metal making this a beautiful, epic combination. Below you can listen to the already mentioned album Tales Of Ithiria, but to be honest every album of this band is very much worth listening. A unique band I surely recommend.

Haggard Official Website
Haggard Facebook
Haggard Twitter

2. Kobra And The Lotus

In contrast to Haggard, the second band is a band I discovered last year, Kobra And The Lotus. The music this band plays is heavy and catchy at the same time and Kobra And The Lotus found the perfect balance between these two. Their latest album, the first part of a double-album called Prevail (check our review here), is definitely recommended and I am surely looking forward to the second part of Prevail. Their live show comes with a lot of energy and is also very much something I would recommend. Want to know more about Kobra And The Lotus and their frontwoman Kobra Paige? Check our interview with Kobra here. In the meantime you can listen to the track Prevail below.

Kobra And The Lotus Official Website
Kobra And The Lotus Facebook
Kobra And The Lotus Twitter

3. Seita

The next two bands are also bands I discovered last year. I am talking about Seita and Apophys, here you can read my live review of Seita’s releaseshow for their Maledictus Mundi album with Apophys as support act. Another live review of a Seita show where DutchMetalManiac was can be read here. The energy coming from this Dutch death/thrash metal band, especially at live shows, is phenomenal. If Seita is coming to a place nearby, make sure you don’t miss this. Their video of the track Cowards To The Lions, coming from Maledictus Mundi, can be seen below.

Seita Official Website
Seita Facebook
Seita Twitter

4. Apophys

As you can read above Apophys was the support act of Seita’s releaseshow (see link to live review above). They are another great band I discovered last year. With their very tight death metal they gave a very nice show. What was standing out the most is probably the way vocalist Kevin Quilligan performed, of course supported by the, also great, performance of the other band members. What I said about Seita is also the case for Apophys. Are they coming to a place nearby? Then you don’t want to miss this if you dig death metal. Below you can listen to their new album Devoratis, which releases today, January 22nd.

Apophys Official Website
Apophys Facebook
Apophys Twitter

5. Grafjammer

Besides Seita and Apophys, there are two other bands coming from The Netherlands in this part of Promoting Bands. First of those two bands is Grafjammer. This dark, filthy band is going to release their second album on February 10th. It will be entitled Schalm & Schabauw and there will also be a releaseshow in dB’s in Utrecht on the releaseday. Below you can listen to the second single of Schalm & Schabauw, De Dode Molen Van Buiten Catharijne.

Grafjammer Facebook

6. The Subliminal

The last Dutch band is The Subliminal. This band plays groove metal with a very aggressive and powerful sound. Want to experience this yourself? Then you can listen to their track titled Behind Dead Eyes below. Recently the guys of The Subliminal announced that they are writing new material for an upcoming EP. So, with the fact that we have to wait sometime for new material, the earlier released tracks will have to do for now. No problem, because based on these earlier tracks the new material can’t possibly be anything else than great.

The Subliminal Facebook

7. Storm Seeker

When speaking about the combination of metal and pirates, the pirate metallers of Alestorm soon come to mind. But wait, there is more! They come from Germany and exist since 2013. They released their debut EP, titled Pirate Scum, in 2016 through Aeterna Records. I am talking about the pirate metallers of Storm Seeker. All tracks of the Pirate Scum EP are definitely recommended, below you can watch their video for the track The Longing.

Storm Seeker Official Website
Storm Seeker Facebook
Storm Seeker Twitter

8. Throane

Last weekend I went to a concert of Amenra, which is also a great band you should check if you don’t know them yet. One of the support acts at that show was Throane. This French band plays extremely dark, haunting, almost hypnotizing music which is almost impossible to describe. This is music you have to experience. Their show was phenomenal, just as the Amenra show. Both bands are very recommend to go to when they are playing nearby you. Throane’s second album, Plus Une Main A Mordre, which was released in October last year is definitely worth listening to, so don’t hesitate to do so below.

Throane Facebook

9. Cruachan

The next band is Cruachan, a folk metal band from Ireland. In 2018, Cruachan already exists for 25 years and they are also going to release a new album. This album will be titled Nine Years Of Blood and will be the last part in their Trilogy Of Blood. Their latest album Blood For The Bloodgod is very nice, so I am surely look forward to the upcoming Nine Years Of Blood album. Below you can listen to a teaser for Nine Years Of Blood.

Cruachan Official Website
Cruachan Facebook

10. Corpus Callosum

The last band of this part of Promoting Bands is a band playing heavy progressive metal in a way you don’t hear that often. They hail from Canada and are called Corpus Callosum. They formed in 2015 and released their debut EP called Second Sun in 2016. Below you can watch their animated music video for the track Mirror Stone.

Corpus Callosum Official Website
Corpus Callosum Facebook

The post Promoting Bands Part 14 appeared first on DutchMetalManiac.

Hey Kobra, are you looking forward to tonight’s show?

I am very much looking forward to the show. I think this is actually our favorite show of the whole tour.

Why is that?

Because we have some very dedicated supporters in The Netherlands. No matter what the size of the show is, it’s going to be a very passionate group of people. I really value everyone that supported us and they show their appreciation for live music as well. They’ve done some exceptional things. One woman is running Kobra and the Lotus Netherlands and she’s just putting in extra effort for no reason other than passion and love for our music to help us along. I am very excited to see many people tonight. There is also a radio-station that’s been with us since 2012, K-Rock and they’ve been exceptional to us. Paul Torch and Ani are wonderful people. I am excited and every time we played in The Netherlands was amazing.

That’s great to hear. Prevail I is the first album on Napalm Records. Why did you choose Napalm Records?

Actually it was really the best option for us and they couldn’t have been better people for what we needed in this moment with Prevail I and Prevail II, which is coming next year. Napalm Records is still growing quite a bit. They are full of younger people that still have the fire to push and work for their bands and want the best for people. Which is not among all the labels, especially at bigger labels you get really lost in the shuffle.

You experienced that yourself?

Yeah, our first signing was with Universal Music in Canada which was a pretty big deal. As soon as they really figured out that it was not a race so much, it’s more of a marathon with a metal band, it became really hard to get any help or any of the basics that you really need from a label. Napalm Records is providing everything we really need as a growing band, they’re providing their network and their community.

Do you think it’s hard because you’re making metal to present the band? Is it harder than when making pop music?

Yeah, it’s a completely different thing. With metal you never know if you break even. Success is measured with something else, you’ve got to really love what you’re doing. We still consider ourselves to have a really long way to go. With pop it can change really quickly, but the fans are also different. Things can fade in pop, but people who stand by your side in metal are always there. They’re very dedicated, which is amazing.

Next year Prevail II is coming out, what can we expect? Is there a difference between Prevail I and Prevail II?

Prevail I and II have a really even balance of all the music we’ve created before mixed with this kind of new sound we’re bringing in. We’re updating our sound a little bit. I really want to keep our authentic roots to metal, but I also don’t want to be traditional metal as before. We’ve fallen into that sometimes. We really worked hard to make it more our sound and reflecting our generation as well. I think we accomplished it.

I listened to Prevail I and the first thing coming to my mind was “they’re unique”. I liked it very much.

Thank you, that’s wonderful. It’s the best thing we could hear.
Prevail II is also going to be hardrock and heavy metal, even balanced.

In your music there seems to be a message about suicide prevention, how does Kobra and the Lotus’ music relate to that?

Well, for me a big deal in the lyrical content is the intention behind the messages. On these albums they’re very clear. They’re more vulnerable, clear messages that people can take for their selves in situations. It’s also from my heart, my everything is on my sleeve. I just think that our world is lacking a lot of compassion, especially when it comes to mental illness, depression and anxiety. People that I spoke to experienced these things or are still experiencing them. Suicide is actually scary, because it’s happening so much now and there are also people who think about it and we’ll never know that they are not okay. They’ll never tell anyone that they are not okay, no one will know, they go on thinking that nothing’s worth it anymore or that the world is better without them. It’s very sad, I wanted some light to really be shed at this area. We can also feel some support with our music for people who don’t have that support in their life, it’s something so they know that there are people who really care about it. It can also help for people who have people close in their life dealing with these things. There are also some people in my life dealing with this, I just feel really awful for them. These are things beyond our control, as you know. You didn’t choose to have these things in your life. More people need to be aware about this.

I come from a loving family, that’s the basis that many people don’t have.

That’s wonderful and so true.

In what way do you think music can help these people?

Because music is the only language in the world that everybody understands. It’s universal, a gift.

You worked with Jacob Hansen for Prevail I. How was working with him?

It was awesome. Jacob was another new experience, he works completely different than the other producers we’ve worked with. He was a really a key player in helping open our minds around how we wanted to introduce new elements into our sound and also build a platform for what that was. He really helped us moving forward. He isn’t a songwriter which is interesting, our other producers have been songwriters as well. Jacob was really like a visionary from the outside. For instance, he said let’s introduce this key change to freshen up the sound and I was horrified because it was not ready for my vocals. Probably in the future we won’t write some songs in those keys, but we learned to write in a different way. I had to use my voice in areas I didn’t think I could. It was amazing, it made us all grow, so challenging.

So he enabled you to grow?

Yes, he did, he pushed us.

What would a world without music be for you?

We might not exist. I think a world without music would be completely chaotic and in destruction. It couldn’t be, it’s hard to imagine.

I understand, when you are feeling down or something, music is always there.

Yeah, it’s always there.

What do you have with Batman? The first track is called Gotham, so I had to ask.

Batman is part of most kids’ childhood in some way and I think that Arkham City, all the bad things and people who try to be good but have to fight this line of demons in Gotham is pretty much a parallel to reality. I thought this is perfect, this is what happening to me and this way we bring nostalgia into it.

The series is also nice.

Yeah, they’re pretty good. They got better I think. I love Bruce, he always has to make choices and he is trying to be a good guy, but sometimes he is in this grey area where he is trying so hard to be good, but life circumstances are putting him in those tough places, that’s interesting.

We all feel like that sometimes. Can you tell me a bit about the plans after Prevail II?

Our plan after Prevail II is basically to tour. We have a lot of music to get around. Even Prevail I has so much more touring to do, once Prevail II is out I feel like we have probably a couple of years of touring. In those couple of years we will do something fun.

You like touring very much?

We are still not touring all the time in busses and this is the first year in almost ten years of me being on the road that I’ve someone helping with merchandising stuff. It’s a really hard lifestyle, it was really fun for the first 8 years. The last two years are harder, as I’ve gotten older. I am almost 30, but I started doing band tours since I was 18. Driving shitty-ass vans across the country, sleeping on floors in sleep bags, I’ve been slugging it out for a while. Now, the shows are what makes it worth for me, but I don’t enjoy the movement and the exhaustion anymore as much. When we’re on a bus I enjoy touring, but that’s not all the time. Like now, we’re sleep deprived for three weeks, it’s brutal.

I can imagine that it is pretty brutal sometimes.

It can change with the band’s ability to finance things. If you’re on a bus tour and you’ve some crew helping you, it makes a world of difference. I think I would feel a little happier. When we are doing this now, while we are driving we are sitting out for like twelve hours, sleeping four hours, setting up everything. It’s hard to enjoy that for me anymore.

When you’re telling me this, than why are you doing it? In The Netherlands we have a pop-singer, called Anouk, who says she’s only going to tour when she need money.

This band has never made money, I am still waiting for the day we break even. The reason I am still doing this is that my intention never changed. I love the shows and I love how music connects people, I am just addicted to that. Seeing how it brings all these people together is a wonderful thing, which I think is necessary in this world. I feel privileged to be a small piece of that.

We feel privileged that you bring that to us, because I think people with such a dedication as yours is a rarity. We have a very angry world right now and there need to be people who make it a little bit lighter.

We do have a angry world and I think so too. Everyone together makes this all happen, it’s kind of a necessary working machine. I am really grateful to everyone in art in the art of music general.

Is there something you would like to tell our readers?

I just want to say thank you all for your support and your love along the way. I feel so grateful for everything that’s happening in my life and with this music. Check out our new album, Prevail II, when it comes out, which is on May 11, 2018. It’s going to be very exciting to release another round of new music. We are going to tour in 2018 through Europe, if anyone is around there, come on out. I want to do a shout out to our manager, because she doesn’t get thanked that often. She is an exceptional person, who does everything for free and works her ass off. I want to give her a little love.

She sounds like a wonderful person, what’s her name?

She’s very generous, her name is Susan Bullen.

What do you expect from tonight’s show?

Usually it’s best to have no expectations, but I think it’s going to be awesome. I see the excitement about it, which makes me excited. I can’t wait to see everyone.

Are you a different person on stage than you’re right now?

I think I am the same person, I really care, but a lot more. Passion is coming out, someone told me they loved the aggressive energy and I thought it was funny because I don’t feel like a very aggressive person. I am a Libra on the scale side, that’s pretty much what I am. I have a very passionate heart, it all gets unleashed on stage. It’s going to be a very high energy impact.

Are you nervous right before you go on stage?

Sometimes I still am very nervous, then I have butterflies and when we already can hear people I get even more nervous.

What’s the reward after the show?

For me, the reward is seeing people smiling. If people are smiling we did something right. I always like to talk to people and just see what they’re feeling. That’s a massive reward.

You always try to be at your best?

Yes, I think that everything I have inside me always comes out at the show. It doesn’t matter how many people are going to be there, it will be the same every time. People deserve that.

You also deserve the recognition. How do you see yourself in the future?

I don’t know, I hope the band keeps growing, so we can keep doing this, because I am not ready to stop. I know I’ll definitely be a mom, I am that kind of woman. There will be kids at some point, not now obviously. There is no room for that in our schedule, it has to fit somehow without compromising our lives.

So even with kids you won’t give up making music?

No way, I’ll find a way for that. Maybe we will start a family band. My boyfriend also sings, so we actually might end up doing that.

Your boyfriend shares the same passion?

He does. It’s really nice and the biggest part of it is that you can trust each other. It’s hard to understand if you aren’t doing the same thing. You are not with each other that much. I would love to be with him more, but we are both doing our own things and I am used to this at this point.

Does he also makes metal music?

He does, he makes progressive metal. He was in The Netherlands recently, singing in Ayreon’s Universe show, Tommy Karevik.

He’s amazing, I was there.

I was there every night, so I probably passed you. Those were great shows, the visuals were amazing.

Arjen Lucassen is really a mastermind.

Yeah, he is. Joost van den Broek as well. Actually Arjen’s girlfriend is very creative, she came with most of the visuals apparently. There are a lot of creative people in this country.

*Kobra points at Tim’s Judas Priest t-shirt and says “cool shirt!”*

Yeah, you saw a Judas Priest concert and you thought “this is what I want to do”, right?

Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. My dad took me and it changed my world. It was everything, the music, the way my boys would fit into it. That moment really sets me on this course.

In 2015, we went to a Judas Priest concert (check our live review here) and Rob Halford can still sing great!

Hell yeah, he is definitely one of those guys who is taking care of his voice. He has a really good vocal technique. Besides that he sounds good, he is also really taking care of it.

He always want to be the best he can be.

And he is, he is the queen of metal!

Kobra And The Lotus Official Website
Kobra And The Lotus Facebook
Kobra And The Lotus Twitter

The post Interview: Kobra and the Lotus appeared first on DutchMetalManiac.

The second song TriggerPulse starts with some heavy guitars. Again, just like the first song the chorus is catchy, almost a little pop like. But the song is accompanied by a really strong rhythm section and a very powerful guitar riff, which makes it a full-blown metal song. When listening to the next song on the album You Don’t Know you can hear that it was meant to be the first single. This song was also my first acquaintance with Kobra And The Lotus and one an acquaintance that has been! If you, upon hearing that song for the first time, only pay attention to the drums than you might think you are listening to Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 but when those heavy guitars come into play, you can clearly hear that it’s Kobra And The Lotus. Despite that it is not a typical Kobra And The Lotus song. The next song Specimen X (The Mortal Chamber) is a very heavy song with tight guitar riffs and outstanding drums, this song is easily one of the best songs on this album. Kobra Paige is a force to be reckoned with, with her threatening and powerful vocals. Less prominent is the ballad Light Me Up. But the song does exactly what it needs to do, it breaks the heaviness of the album by being a beautiful intermezzo.

The next song, Manifest Destiny, is with some distance the best track on the album if you ask me. Vocally, lead singer Kobra Paige shifts into a higher gear! In the chorus she uses all her vocal capabilities and opens all of her registers. What amazing vocals this woman has. The song Victim is about being responsible for your own actions, I only agree to this to some extent, but I am not here to advocate life lessons, but to review a good album. Anyway, this song is heavy and transfers the message very well. Check The Phyrg is kind of an different song. Why? Well, the song is completely instrumental and it has a lot of guitar violence! It is pointless to me to try and describe everything that is happening in this song, because there is so much going on and it’s truly epic. Despite the catchy chorus again from the next song Hell On Earth this song is the most lugubrious song on the album. The song has a lot of threatening vocals and a very threatening tone overall. Again, there are these very tight guitar riffs and outstanding vocals. The variations in the vocals fit this song very well. While Hell On Earth is very dark, the title track Prevail is really positive and patriotic. It’s a nice positive closing song on this nice album.

If I have to describe Kobra And The Lotus, then I would say it’s accessible metal for people that don’t listen to metal very often, but also for true metalheads. It’s a wonderful band that deserves the attention it gets, because if their live shows are as good as their studio material, then people are in for a very good time!!!

Kobra And The Lotus Official Website
Kobra And The Lotus Facebook
Kobra And The Lotus Twitter

The post Review: Kobra And The Lotus – Prevail I appeared first on DutchMetalManiac.