Year of the Cobra - Ash and Dust (2019)

Hailing from Seattle, Year of the Cobra was one of the revelations during the North American edition of Prophecy Fest back in 2018. This high-powered duo unleashed one of the most intense performances of the fest, and show that this was no fluke with their latest full-length release “Ash and Dust”. Crafting a very unique and powerful sound with a very bare-bones instrumental core (bass guitar and drums), this band unleashes a very Doomy vibe while keeping things fresh and engaging.

With a warm and fuzzy hypnotic bass guitar, the band starts their onslaught with “The Battle of White Mountain”. Perfectly creating a thick psychedelic/doomy atmosphere, Amy Tung Barrysmith’s vocals remind us a bit of Jex Thoth and Rosalie Cunningham. As masters of their trade, this duo crafts slow burning progressions weaving back and forth between droney passages and faster paced sections, tracks like “The Divine” and”Demons” are perfect examples.

The contrast between the fragility of Amy’s vocals on songs like “At the Edge” and “Into the Fray” and the throbbing bass guitar line is quite effective in creating a mellow and highly emotional vibe. As the release closes with the anxiety inducing instrumental “In Despair,'' we can’t wait to play this release again. Having a very compact core and instrumental selection is definitely Year of the Cobra’s strength as they can focus on creating crafty atmospheres with less and this translates to a very powerful live show. If you are on the market for some heavy, psychedelic, doomy music with a dark and occult vibe, look no further and grab your copy of “Ash and Dust”.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: November 1st, 2019

Genre: Psychedelic Doom Metal/Rock

Country: USA