Guitars, who needs guitars in heavy music? At least YEAR OF THE COBRA can happily do without the ones that have only thin strings and are mostly good for fiddling around. Vocalist Amy Tung Barrysmith gets a massive groove and lush heaviness out of her bass, which is more than enough to fuel the booming twin engine made from doom metal and psychedelic sludge that drives their self-titled third full-length. "Year of the Cobra" has clearly grown out of its two forerunners "...in the Shadows Below" (2016) and "Ash and Dust" (2019), but it also surpasses them. YEAR OF THE COBRA have honed their songwriting, which is more to the point, and produces catchy yet super heavy tunes that are tailor-made to fit the band's strongest aspects. Amy Tung Barrysmith's rich alto and the seamless rhythmical rapport between her bass lines and Jon Barrysmith's emotive drumming come to the fore. YEAR OF THE COBRA were formed in Seattle in 2015. As a duo, YEAR OF THE COBRA had to carve out their own niche, which they did with deceptively seeming ease. They created a sound that effortlessly ranged from classic doom melancholy to oppressively heavy riff architectures. YEAR OF THE COBRA went on to transform catchy, almost upbeat rock moments into swirling psychedelia. YEAR OF THE COBRA are ready for the next step as their self-titled thirdfull-length irrefutably proves. The super heavy "Year of the Cobra" gets her fangs into your ears and just won't let go!
