Being "out there" is what Cobalt is all about. Their sound is avant-garde and experimental, but Gin generally escapes the pitfalls of self-indulgence and experiments that blow up in their face. Think of a genre, and Cobalt probably incorporates it. Black, progressive, doom, sludge and numerous other styles make their way into the songs on Gin. There are even moments of black 'n roll.
"Pregnant Insect" is a relatively straightforward and groovy song that features black metal rasps and guest vocals from Jarboe, who also appears on one other track. The nine minute epic "Dry Body" in sparse and mellow for the first three minutes before kicking in, and has baritone melodic vocals.
Every song on Gin is a many-layered creature with a lot of depth, styles and textures. It takes a while to fully appreciate everything that's going on, but it's well worth the trouble.
Don't expect to see Cobalt on tour any time soon. The duo has other obligations. Phil McSorley is in the military and currently deployed in Iraq, while Erik Wunder will be busy as Jarboe's touring drummer.
(released March 17, 2009 on Profound Lore Records)
