Released by: Frontiers Records
Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Genre: Hard Rock
Links: https://myspace.com/officialkingkobra
Line Up:
Carmine Appice
David Henzerling
Mick Sweda
Johnny Rod
Paul Shortino
Tracklist:
01. Hell On Wheels
02. Knock ‘Em Dead
03. Have A Good Time
04. The Ballad Of Johnny Rod
05. Take Me Back
06. When The Hammer Comes Down
07. Running Wild
08. The Crunch
09. Got It Comin’
10. Deep River
11. Don’t Keep Me Waiting
12. We Go Round
King Kobra is back and with a vengeance! With probably the best album they’ve ever done, with the release of II on Frontier Records, they continue on the high started with their s/t release a couple years ago. From the opening track, the blisteringly incredible “Hell On Wheels” I was instantly hooked. This is one of the best songs I have heard from any band in a very long time. It’s so good; the rest of the album suffers a little from having to follow it, in fact. I’ve been a fan of theirs through every incarnation and line-up change through the years. Never really accepted as the premiere band, but typically regarded by the fans as one of the good ones.
Giving the band a big shot in the arm, besides having pretty much the entire original line-up other than original singer Mark Free (now known as Marcie Free,) is the addition of vocal powerhouse Paul Shortino. His down and dirty, soulful blues style is a perfect fit for their reunion. Having been a fan of his with Rough Cutt and the much maligned QRIII with Quiet Riot (which perplexes me as it’s a helluva album,) and his solo work I was eager to hear what he would offer in King Kobra when it was announced that he was joining them in their reunion. Not to take anything away from Free, Johnny Edwards, or Kelly Keeling, all fantastic singers, but Shortino has always been one of my fav’s. His passion and delivery always accentuate the songs he’s performs on, including their reunion debut in 2011. As for the songs on II, I’ve already mentioned “Hell On Wheels,” but beyond that tracks like “Take Me Back,” “Running Wild,” and “We Go Round” are also superior. In fact, I can’t really name one song I didn’t enjoy.
I’m so glad that King Kobra is back and as strong as ever. And I hope they keep on their ascension of awesome. As long as they keep releasing albums as strong as this one, there should be no worries about them sticking around. And as a long time fan, that’s excellent news.
Written by Chris Martin
Ratings Chris 9/10
About Author
