cobra rec.: coldburn, empowerment, hell & back

coldburn - the harsh fangs of life
pre-order time at cobra records. previously i wrote about coldburn's first 7" called 'hybris'. their full length is definitely a step forward. they still got these pretty unique melodies and strange but lovely pace changes included in their heavy hardcore sound. what really stands out is the development of the singing abilities of the vocalist. he added a melodic edge to his screaming without ever sounding cheesy. all in all they don't managed to keep the high quality of the first half of the record throughout the whole play time but that just means that they're that close to a masterpiece.

the record comes in a nice matte paper sleeve and with a poly bag that has a sticker with band and album name attached to it. furthermore you get the always welcomed download dropcard.

i have the pre-order version. i got sweaty hands as i read the colour description 'red/white'. thought it'd be a split coloured record. as i pulled it out of the dust sleeve i was a bit disappointed. it's a clear red vinyl with some white streaks. they are hard to see, not only in this picture :-)
pre-order edition. limited to 100 copies. cobra records. 2012.

empowerment - gegen.kult
this stuttgart based band with ex-members of teamkiller got a bit hyped recently but empowerment deserves this. they are different to your average hardcore band repeating itself over and over again. they maybe aren't different in music but definitely in words. empowerment has a message and plenty of statements. statements against rasicm, police, politics, consumerism and conformity. loud and clear, without any metaphors or common phrases - and in german. so this will probably stay a german thing. but even if your mother tongue isn't german, empowerment is packed with energy and that'll work non verbally. music is somewhere around madball, merauder and biohazard. nyc school ;-) listen to it here.

the packaging is outstanding, too. the sleeve has some kind of cardboard turntable attached under the upper cover. so you can choose between 4 characters standing in the door of the trailer.

i've chosen the best looking chick ;-) additonally you get a fold out lyric sheet in poster format with a band picture on the flip side. sadly there is no download card but i got the rarest vinyl colour so that thing evens itself out.

cyan blue vinyl. 200 made. cobra records. 2012.

hell & back - everything you say is just how bad things are 7"

another band out of stuttgart. usually this isn't my taste. you find hell & back somewhere between punkrock and hardcore. but this is such great, positive music that makes you feel good immediately. i couldn't resist... my girlfriend said it sounds a bit like old foo fighters. yeah, she isn't that far away. you can listen to their stuff over at partyausfall.

just like the coldburn lp i thought i would get a split coloured 7". description was red/clear vinyl... ok, i should have known. i was lesser interested in the 'clear/black' coloured vinyl. now i saw that it's clear with black smoke. damn! but to be honest, i'm not too bothered to buy another copy. although it itches...

200 made. comes with a download code. cobra records. 2012.