Last year’s “Eater Of Birds”-album was very well received by press and public alike, and was pretty much a surprise to both parties. The well crafted black metal fits well in nowadays extreme metal’s culture. If well executed, the black metal of these new acts in extreme metal is more diverse and possibly even more intense than those untalented followers of mindless barbarity.
For those who are still unfamiliar with Cobalt, this is definitely one of those interesting acts of what can be called the ‘last wave of modern black metal’. Not much in the vein of Blasphemy, Darkthrone or Bathory at all.
Dark like Negura Bunget, progressive like Tool, dark and, at moments, long drawn like that obscure doom act, hypnotizing like later Neurosis and with ambient passages frighteningly close to New Risen Throne or Cruel Harvest. Additional to the great ‘Stomach’-track you’ll get a seven-minute cover of the cult crustpunkers of Nausea with the extremely well done ‘Extinction’. The third track is a thirty-minute mind boggling dark ambient track that might be too much for the regular listener, but surely is a frightening experience for the advanced.
If this forty-three minute EP is an appetizer for the upcoming album it promises to be a killer album that gives this illustrious duo the attention they deserve. Though they might just be more comfortable in their current position, the dark side of things… Recommended, that’s for sure.
