RATING: RRRR
LABEL: NAPALM
REVIEW BY: ALAN HOLLOWAY
I've been listening to Kobra & The Lotus albums for some time now, but have never felt moved enough to review them, mainly because there's always tone of albums fighting for my time and I didn't quite get the buzz from them that others did. Until now, anyway. Following up from last year's 'Prevail I' (unsurprisingly), this second part has put the band firmly in my eyeline.
The three years between 2014s 'High Priestess' and 'Prevail I' certainly seem to have done the band good, and 'Prevail II' takes that goodness and runs with it, impressing from the off as (lead single) 'Losing My Humanity' and 'Let Me Love You' both fuse metal and melody with ease, tying both together with Kobra Paige's cracking vocals. Her voice stays on the right side of operatic, although I have a feeling she would really shine in a symphonic rock setting. There's even a track called 'My Immortal' here, but it's nothing to do with the Evanescence song. Instead, KATL go more for the jugular, with pounding beats and aggressive melody throughout, perhaps none more so than in 'Fallen Empire', a full on metal track that benefits from the softening that a talented female singer brings - there's no shouting or grunting here. The band are no slouches either, as the tuneful noise behind her is never less than spot on, benefitting from a crystal clear production. In contrast, following sont 'Heartache' is closer to melodic rock than metal, showing a lighter side to the band that provides a welcome contrast to the heavier songs. The even finish up with half a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' which is pretty good though unfortunately leaves out the awesome middle instrumental bit. There's also an acoustic version of 'Let me Love You' that closes the album perfectly, showcasing Kobra's vocals nicely and coming accross like an old Heart track!
'Prevail II' certainly hit me harder than last years part one, and I can see myself coming back to it again and again just for the pleasure of it, and as any overworked reviewer will tell you that's the real mark of a good album. A pleasing mix of styles but focussing more on metal, this is a real treat for anyone who likes female fronted rock music that bites back.
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