For the past couple of years, KOBRA AND THE LOTUS seem to have been a band that plenty of Metal fans have been aware of, but not actually listened to. They've had several massive tours supporting big name acts and certain corners of the press have fallen over themselves to shower them with praise, yet they haven't quite captured the imagination of head-bangers at large yet.

There's a multitude of reasons for this of course. It's tough being an up and coming band in today's market, even if you do have the approval of Gene Simmons himself. In fact having an association with rock music's answer to Krusty The Klown has probably had just as many drawbacks as benefits, as the Demon has never let artistic credibility get in the way of a fast buck and to the casual onlooker, it'd be easy to think that they have about as much depth and worth as Tongue Magazine.

On the strength of 'High Priestess' however it'd be a real shame if KOBRA AND THE LOTUS didn't start to get more of the commercial recognition they deserve. It's not an astonishing album by any means, but it is a very competent and well executed collection of songs. There are hooks aplenty, some great musicianship and in Kobra Paige, they have a singer who is as charismatic on record as she is onstage.

Sitting comfortably between the glamour of Tarja Turunen and the sleaze of Taylor Momsen, she has an instantly recognisable voice and despite clearly having some classical training, she seems more at home rocking out than warbling about eternal sorrow while a symphony orchestra plays in the background. Her performance on tracks like 'Hold On,' 'High Priestess' and 'Willow' is never less than impeccable, getting close to full on Power Metal but always reigning it in at the last second.

Perhaps the biggest advantage they have though is that KOBRA AND THE LOTUS have managed to write that rare thing; a Metal album that could appeal to non-metalheads. Tracks like 'Visionary,' 'Willow' and first single 'I Am, I Am' would be perfectly at home on mainstream radio stations and if they could get one of their music videos on regular rotation, they could be on to a winner.

All of which begs the question of why 'High Priestess' is merely a good album rather than a classic? Well, the stark truth is that while it has plenty to recommend it, it's also lacking that spark of instant brilliance and nothing leaps out to grab you fiercely like 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' did on its first play. It's also bookended by a couple of duff tracks: the opening 'Warhorse' is just a tad generic, while 'Lost In The Shadows' is an attempt at an epic ballad which is neither epic nor moving enough.

That shouldn't detract from the fact though that for eighty percent of its run time, 'High Priestess' is an enjoyable and very respectable release. If your sole remit is death growls, breakdowns and circle pits, stay away, but there's still room in the world for the more traditionally minded and it can only be a matter of time before Jack Black falls in love with the singer.