Black Cobra - 'Chronomega'

Burly two piece doom rock/metal that unfortunately chases its own tail in a race toward monotony.

It takes nine people to make up the undeniable heaviness that is Slipknot, but never mind the bells and whistles. If you flip the beast of metal on it’s back, you’ll find duos crawling across its underbelly that are far more dark, brutal and mad (Jucifer and Eagle Twin come to mind). With Chronomega, California’s Black Cobra create straightforward, filthy doom rock/metal that’s seedy yet groovy, not unlike the vibes of High on Fire or Motorhead.

And like High on Fire, Black Cobra isn’t afraid of speeding up their doom riffs, as taboo as the notion may be for some doom purists. Occasionally Slayer-esque riffs gallop forward, but drummer Rafael Martinez does a remarkable job of reigning in the wild horse that would otherwise run rampant and out of control, all the while maintaining the tension and energy of Jason Landrian’s guitar work.

As impressively pummeling as Black Cobra is, there’s an unshakable sense of monotony and lack of diversity, with the better tracks loaded up on Chronomega’s front end. The band has established a desirably filthy sound and approach, but there just aren’t enough hooks to keep one interested throughout the course of Chronomega.